Lion's Mouth: Part 2
by PedePaulie
Summary: While trying to figure out her friendship with Bakura and her strange connection to Yami, the empath Samia decide who's side she's on after realizing her childhood friend is her newest enemy.
1. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

 _Darkness engulfed me everywhere I turned. I was a child again, alone in the tunnels and caverns I did not understand. I hated the darkness. I hated it and yet did not run in fear like other children. What I hated most was the attraction to the dark. It reminded me that a small part of me feared the light. Perhaps that was what drew us to each other._

 _Suddenly I was not alone. I sat cross-legged in a room with a boy my age who had darker skin than me. We played jacks and marbles, our games illuminated by a single candle. The boy paused our game and passed his hand over the flame of the candle – not close enough to singe but close enough to send my heart racing._

 _"D-don't do that!" I stuttered. "Fire is dangerous. Fire destroys."_

 _The boy smiled, his eyes still fixed on the flame. "Fire gives life. It gives warmth and light. Where there is light, the darkness cannot hide."_

 _"And I can't hide."_

 _Before he could respond, the scene changed. The walls faded away, and the candle extinguished. I looked back and forth for my friend, but he was gone. Fear pricked my heart when I realized my aloneness once more._

 _A light flashed before my eyes. It grew closer and gradually formed a shape. I gasped when I realized it was fire – fire shaped like a mighty phoenix! I cringed and shielded my face as it swooped towards me._

 _Someone leapt in front of me to protect me. The phoenix struck the person and then disintegrated in the air. My eyes fell to a lifeless body before me, and I instantly felt sick._

 _"Mother!"_

I jolted up in bed when I felt something move against my cheek. Heart pounding wildly, I struggled to see in the dark. My vision focused on my cat, lying on my stomach and staring at me with innocent eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief. Just a dream.

"Thanks for waking me, Sophia." I stroked my hand across her back, earning a purr of approval from the feline. Sometimes I felt she shared some of my powers and could sense when I was in distress. "This is getting old fast."

I leaned back onto my pillow and sighed. The dreams – no, nightmares – had grown frequent over the past two weeks. They usually involved a combination of Egypt, my parents, my grandmother, and the boy I once knew. I did not understand the source. It had been six weeks since Duelist Kingdom and any sort of magic. It would at least make sense if Yugi or Bakura starred in my dreams, but that was not the case.

My mother had nightmares leading up to her untimely death. I shivered at the thought that my subconscious mind was trying to tell me something important. If there was a message in there, I could not decipher it. Most of the time I caught glimpses of my past anyway.

I closed my eyes and focused on sleep. I did not want to go back to the past. It was time to move on. I had a new life with new friends and nothing was going to ruin it.

* * *

"It sounds like your dreams are getting worse," Bakura said on our walk to school together. "Do you have any idea what's causing them?"

I shook my head, my eyes fixed on the sidewalk. My best friend was the only person I had confided in, for I knew anyone else would ask too many questions. "I'm not sure. Nothing unusual has happened recently."

"Well, what if it means something is going to happen in the _future_?"

My heart thumped. Of course he knew what I had been thinking. "But I've never had prophetic dreams before. And I mostly dream of memories."

"You didn't see a phoenix made of fire in Egypt, did you?"

I frowned. No, that was certainly not a memory. And I had not witnessed my mother's death. "Things like that can't really happen, can they?" I looked at him earnestly, searching for an answer.

Bakura shrugged. "There's a lot we've seen that I never thought could have existed." He paused. "Even if you're not predicting the future, I still think your subconscious is trying to tell you something. The Domino City Museum just got that ancient Egyptian exhibit. Perhaps you should delve into your Egyptian history."

I stopped in my tracks. " _No_."

Bakura turned and looked back at me in surprise. "Why are you so against it? It might help you understand your destiny."

"Destiny? Now you're sounding like Yugi." _And Yami._ "I don't have a destiny, Bakura. I just want to be a normal girl."

My friend gave me a lopsided smile. "No offense, Samia, but you're _not_ normal, and I don't think that's a bad thing. You should accept it and use it to your advantage."

He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I bit my lip and looked away. Why _was_ I so hesitant? What was I afraid of? "I – I'm just not ready for that."

Bakura withdrew his hand, sadden. "Alright. If you ever change your mind, I'm here to support you."

I lifted my head and gave him a small smile. "Thanks." Even though the two of us had not spent as much time together recently as we had in the past, it was good to know that he was still a true friend. Maybe an evolving friendship was not so bad after all. Nothing could destroy our memories and the bond that existed between us.

A familiar wave of fear washed over me, making me jump into alertness. I stood still and scanned the crowd for the source of emotions. "Tea!" I called. "What's going on?"

Tea skidded to a halt and then spun around on her heels. I felt her panic before I saw it on her face. "Hey, I can't talk. Someone stole Yugi's Millennium Puzzle!"

This time the dread that pierced my heart was my own. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.

"Where is Yugi?" Bakura said.

"In the alley!" Tea said, pointing behind us. "We split up to catch the guy."

"Well then, don't let us detain you. Keep looking and we'll get some help."

Tea nodded. "Right. Thanks, guys." Then she was off.

I barely had time to process this new information when I noticed something off about my remaining companion. I looked over at Bakura and noticed a familiar object hanging around his neck: The Millennium Ring. Taking in his dark expression, I suddenly understood. "You're not Bakura!"

"Clever one, aren't you?" said the Spirit of the Millennium Ring. "Now let's go." He roughly grabbed my wrist and started pulling me forward with him. In his free hand he held the Millennium Ring, which was pointing presumably in the direction of the Millennium Puzzle.

I stumbled forward but then caught my balance and fell in step beside him. "How did you get the Ring back? Tristan said he got rid of it."

He smirked. "You do not comprehend the power of the Millennium Items and the strength of the bond they have with their wielders. Such a cheap trick could not get rid of me." He chuckled darkly.

Oh, great. And why had I not sensed anything until now? Had my refusal to face reality once again blinded me to the truth? The pressure on my wrist reminded me that I had bigger problems at the moment. "Where are you taking me?" I tried to sound as commanding as possible, but I could tell the Spirit found me amusing.

"We're going to make sure the Millennium Puzzle is returned to its rightful owner, of course."

I blinked. _That_ was unexpected. "You mean you're going to steal it for myself?"

"The Millennium Items do not change allegiance so easily; they must be won. It is currently in my best interest to let Yugi protect like Puzzle. I have the other Items to locate and gather, after all."

My mind spun with conflicting thoughts and emotions. Of everything I thought could happen, I had not expected _this_. "B-but you tried to hurt my friends and me."

"You are allowing your emotions to alter your memory. Think back. Did I ever try to hurt _you_ personally?"

His cold eyes bore into mine, causing me to shiver. I willed my heart to slow in order to calm myself and perform the required task. I dug through my memories of Duelist Kingdom, searching for any clue I could find. He was right.

He had frightened me when he first showed himself but only to get me to do what he wanted. And then when he dueled Yami, he had wanted me as a prize. "You couldn't banish me to a card during that duel like you could with everyone else," I Said slowly. "I'm immune to the Millennium Items."

"That's not the only way to deal with someone. I've watched you for a long time. I could have taken you out at any time. You pose no danger to me at present, and that is why I have no reason to hurt you."

His words made logical sense to me, but there was something that still did not feel right. Surprisingly, I had managed to calm my own emotions, so I focused on feeling something from the Spirit. I could sense no deception or manipulation. In fact, I could not sense much of anything at all. He was remarkably cool and absent of any strong emotion. Was that why I always had a hard time sensing his presence within my friend?

"Your feeling games won't work on me," the Spirit said, an amused smirk returning to his lips. "You see, I have little need for the motions that weigh other men down. I do not get distracted by anger and make rash decisions. I act based on reason and self-interest. You can trust me because you know I have no reason to hurt you or your friends at this point. Right now, our interests converge. Therefore, I am helping you."

No need for emotions? From experience, emotions were what bound people together. It was emotions that created trust, not the absence of them. Yet, if this guy operated in the realm of reason and he truly had no reason to do her harm at the moment, perhaps she had nothing to fear from him.

He had terrified me when we met, but that had been intentional. And after that, my own emotions must have clouded my senses. Right now, I could sense something dark from him but also something human and familiar. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I could do this. I had to distinguish between my emotions and others so that my powers could serve me.

My attention shifted to my wrist. "Okay, I'll go with you. Let me go now!" I yanked my wrist back, surprised when the Spirit let me pull it away.

"Good girl," he said, his smirk widening.

Despite his words, I thought there must be a reason he wanted to keep me close to him. Pegasus had wanted to use me for my powers, so why not this guy as well? And he was from ancient Egypt himself. He had to know a lot about who I was and what I could do.

"We're close," he said.

I shivered when I realized we were in the depths of a dark, deserted alley. In an ironic twist, I did feel safe knowing I was with someone who could thwart off anyone with ill intentions – including whoever stole the Millennium Puzzle. Gazing at my surroundings, I noticed something strange. "What's with all these arrows?"

"The thief obviously wanted Yugi to follow him," said the Spirit. "Like I said, Millennium Items must be won."

I frowned as I observed him moving the signs around in confusing directions. "What are you doing?"

"We don't want Tea following us – unless you would have her in danger as well?"

I suspected concern for my friend was not his real reason for his actions, but he did have a point. I sighed, letting the tension drain from my body. "Fine."

"You're much easier to deal with when you're reasonable – although a lot less fun."

I grit my teeth as I followed him, making sure to keep some distance between us. He may have been a temporary ally, but that did not mean he still did not creep me out. "I just want to make sure Yugi is alright."

"And the Spirit of the Puzzle, correct?" Dark Bakura looked over his shoulder to glance at me.

I stiffened at the implication. "N-not at all. I mean, only as far as Yugi needs the Puzzle back. He probably cares a lot more than me. It's not personal or anything." I realized I was babbling, but the Spirit's knowing look forced me to defend myself.

My companion chuckled darkly before returning his gaze straight ahead. "You're still denying the truth. You won't be able to pull that off for long."

I frowned. "What would you know about it?" My curiosity threatened to overcome my fear, making me even more nervous.

"I know you're drawn to the Puzzle and the Spirit who resides inside it. The more you try to resist the attraction, the stronger it will become."

"But I don't want anything to do with all of this!" I jogged to catch up to him and gave him an earnest look.

He chuckled again and shook his head. "You're already involved in this whether you like it or not, girl. All you can do is choose which _side_ you'll be on."

I blinked. "But if something is pulling me towards Yami – and Yugi – shouldn't I be on their side?"

Dark Bakura glanced at me, seeming to consider my words. "Not necessarily. Resisting the pull is what would prove futile. However, if you understand and accept it, you may find a way around it."

I still had little emotions form him to go off of, but suspicion still filled. "And what other side would I have to choose from?"

He smirked and looked away. "You will find out when the time is right. You should be focusing now on strengthening and refining your powers."

I sighed, exasperated. "And how am I supposed to do that? I have no one to teach me."

"No one taught me my craft either." A gleam in his eyes sent a chill down my spine. "You'll figure it out with the proper motivation."

I forced my mouth shut and my eyes on the ground ahead. I already had way more information than I could process. The Dark Spirit had been surprisingly open. I wondered if he was still trying to gain my trust so I would work with him instead of Yami. Is that what he meant by choosing sides? My head hurt just thinking about it. I decided to focus on the mission on hand and reflect on our conversation later.

I nearly bumped into Bakura when he stopped walking. Startled, I peered around at our surroundings. We had exited the alley and now stood in front of what appeared to be an old abandoned warehouse. The Millennium Ring no longer moved. I swallowed to wet my suddenly dry throat. There was something ominous about this place. "Th-they're in there?"

"That's right," Bakura said. "Is there anything else you can sense?" He looked at me with steady, unreadable eyes.

Huh? Was this a test? Calming myself, I turned my attention to the barn. I certainly did sense something dangerous and sinister inside that went beyond normal human evil. "I sense darkness. Maybe… if this person is after the Millennium Puzzle, they have a Millennium Item as well?" I glanced at my companion for confirmation.

He nodded. "Very good. I sense dark forces from the Shadow Realm inside. We must act very carefully. Stay quiet while I think of a plan."

I bit my lip and turned my gaze to the ground. The Shadow Realm again? How had I gotten myself into this mess? I realized it was foolish to think I could continue to be Yugi's friend and avoid magic. I could feel him – and Yami – in there now, calling out to me. Almost unconsciously, I moved forward.

Someone yanked my arm and pulled me back. Startled, I looked up into the Dark Spirit's glowering eyes. Was he going to tell me to stay behind so I wouldn't get in the way?

"You must not take rash action," he said. "We're going to go inside and investigate. Stay beside me and keep quiet."

I nodded, too afraid to say anything else.

Instead of going through the front door, Dark Bakura led the way to the side. We entered and ascended a flight of stairs. Finally, we found ourselves on the upper level balcony of the warehouse. I covered my mouth to cover my gasp upon taking in the scene below.

Yugi appeared to be dueling, the Millennium Puzzle nailed to the side of the platform. And his opponent was… Bandit Keith? I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. Something did not feel right. I knew Bandit Keith hated Yugi but what would he want with the Puzzle? Then I remembered what Bakura had said. I took a deep breath and focused on my powers.

"He's being controlled," I whispered. I nervously flicked my eyes to Bakura. My instincts told me to leap out and help Yugi, but I feared I would have more trouble on my hands if I made the Spirit upset.

"He's a puppet controlled by shadow energies," Bakura confirmed in a low voice, "but this puppet show is over. I'll use the Millennium Ring to break the control."

I looked at him questioningly. _You can do that?_ I could not process the idea that the Ring could be used for anything other than evil.

He merely smirked as the Ring began to glow. "Ring, sever the strings that bind this man. Free his mind from the Shadow Realm."

I felt a jolt of pain that made me flinch, but then the dark pressure around me subsided. I had not realized how much it had been affecting me until it had been lifted. I gave Bakura a grateful smile.

Keith leaned over the dueling platform, breathing heavily. "Where am I?" he said. "What on earth am I wearing?" Instead of his usual attire, he was adorned in a heavy black cloak.

I suddenly felt a jab of darkness. I clutched my head in pain and instinctively moved closer to Bakura. As he shouted about voices in his head, I could tell that dark forces were trying to take over Keith again. "Make it stop," I whimpered. I felt the struggle nearly as my own.

"I won't let him win," Bakura growled.

The pain waned, but the darkness remained. I froze in fear as I realized this meant the enemy had won – at least temporarily. Now controlled, Keith leapt right onto the dueling arena. "I'm back," he said in a mechanical voice that was not his own. "Before I lose control, I've got to destroy it." He jumped down from the platform and grabbed hold of the Millennium Puzzle. "If I can't have this puzzle, no one can!"

"No!" Yugi cried. "Keith, wait! Don't!"

But it was no use. The controlled Keith smashed the Puzzle against the side of the arena, smashing it into pieces.

A scream tried to escape my lips, but a hand clamped around my mouth, causing it to become caught in my throat. Bakura moved his free arm around my waist to hold me in place. I barely registered his closeness or the Millennium Ring pressed to my side as my fear and pounding heart drowned out everything else.

"Hold onto me; we're taking direct action," the Dark Spirit whispered in my ear. "I'll need to impersonate your friend."

My fuzzy mind prevented reflection on his words, so I simply obeyed. I clutched onto him as he released me. I saw him grab onto a rope form up above, and then suddenly we were swinging through the air. I shut my eyes and held on even tighter.

"That's quite enough of that!" the Spirit said in a voice that sounded an awful lot like the real Bakura's. He moved his body so that he slammed into Keith while keeping me safe. I let go once I felt the ground beneath me feet. Keith cried out as he stumbled backward and proceeded to fall off the dueling ring, presumably knocked out.

I let out a breath of relief and turned to Yugi, who stared at us in shock. It was over. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Yugi said as he hopped down from the dueling platform. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Tea told us what happened," Bakura said.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I followed my companion's lead and assisted in picking up the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle for Yugi, who gratefully accepted them.

Yugi gazed at the broken Puzzle in dismay. "It took me forever to put it together the first time, but at least I have a chance to try," he said. "Who knows? Since I did it once already, maybe this time it will be easier."

"It will be," I said. "I can feel it."

Yugi gave me a slight smile. "Thanks, Samia."

I felt something uncomfortable coming from Bakura, but when I glanced at him, I merely saw him hold out a piece of the Puzzle to Yugi.

"Yugi, you missed this one piece," he said.

"Thanks a lot, Bakura," Yugi said. "The last thing I need is to lose a piece of the Millennium Puzzle."

Bakura smiled. "Yes, I know. You can't complete it without them all." He turned and started towards the exit of the warehouse. "You coming, Samia?"

I hesitated and then shook my head. "No, I'll stay with Yugi and make sure he gets out of here with all of the pieces."

"Suit yourself. See you later."

"Thanks for your help again," Yugi said. "You were a lifesaver."

As Bakura climbed down the dueling ring, he fell with a thud. It bit my lip. Normally I would have found this humorous, but I did not like the Spirit impersonating my friend, especially when he did such a good job of it.

"Are you okay?" said Yugi.

"I'm fine," said Bakura. "I've got to get back to school. Make sure you don't stay here for too long."

"We'll be right behind you as soon as I unhook my chain."

I looked up at the frame of the Millennium Puzzle still nailed to the dueling platform. I noted that Yugi had switched out his rope for a chain. How were we supposed to get it off? Yugi stood beside me and appeared deep in thought.

"Suddenly a voice echoed throughout the warehouse: "Stop! Stop talking to me!"

I turned around and blinked. "Bandit Keith?"

I heard a swishing sound and soon saw Keith swinging around a metal pole in a panic. The mind controller must have still been trying to give him orders.

"Keith, stop!" Yugi calmed.

"Calm down!" I cried even as my own fear rose in response.

Keith continued to swing wildly at what he probably thought was an invisible opponent. He struck everything in sight, including a control panel that started to spark. As he fell backwards, wire split open and sparks fell on cans of gasoline, causing a huge explosion that made me jump. Now there was fire spreading throughout the warehouse!

My heart pounded so hard I could hardly hear my own thoughts. "Yugi, we've got to get out of here!"

"Not without the Puzzle!" Yugi exclaimed. He grabbed hold of the frame and pulled, but he was not strong enough to break it form its chain.

I stood frozen in fear for one more moment before I snapped to action. I grabbed hold of the chain and helped him pull to no avail. "It's not working!" I said in dismay. "Try to put it together again while I look for a way to release it. Maybe Yami can help us." It was a long shot, but it was the only idea I had.

"You should get out of here while you can," Yugi said as he heeded my advice and concentrated on the puzzle pieces.

By this point, the fire had spread all around the building, making it hard to breath, yet oddly enough, in place of fear I felt resolve. I shook my head. "I can't do that. I need to make sure both of you are safe."

Yugi looked surprised but did not argue with me. While he worked on the Puzzle, I looked around for something to pry the Puzzle from the platform. The heat from the fire made it hard to think, and everything was starting to become fuzzy. I leaned against the platform to catch my breath.

The fire drained my energy, and I had to focus to keep my ears open. The sound of people shouting Yugi's and my names snapped me to alertness. I could just make out Joey and Tristan through the fire, telling us to get out of there with them.

"I can't leave yet, guys!" Yugi shouted at them. "I've got to finish putting together the Millennium Puzzle!" He returned his focus to the Puzzle. I felt a flash of relief in him when he put the last piece in place. "This should do it."

I immediately put my hand to the Puzzle. _"Yami, can you hear me?"_

" _ **Samia, you and Yugi must get out of here quickly."**_

I shook my head wearily. _"Not without the Puzzle."_

" _ **Forget about me!"**_

" _I can't!"_ In that moment I knew Bakura – and the Spirit of the Millennium Ring – were right. It did not matter if I understood it; when it came down to it, I could not deny the truth. Something inside me, something stronger even than my fear, would not let me leave.

"We've got to get out of here, guys!" Tristan shouted from beside me. He tried to pull me away while Joey grabbed Yugi, but both of us clung to the Millennium Puzzle with all our might.

"My Puzzle," Yugi said with a labored breath. "Can't leave without my Puzzle."

The effort from solving the Puzzle must have caused the heat to drain his energy quicker than it had me, and I wondered if there was anything I could do to help him. I kept my left hand on the Puzzle and reached over to grasp Yugi's shoulder with right. That instant, I felt a surge of strength pass from the Puzzle, through me, and to Yugi. Both of us, now alert, exchanged a look of shock.

" _Did you do that?"_ I asked Yami.

" _ **No,"**_ he said, his voice sounding just as surprised. _**"Samia, I think that was you."**_

" _But that makes no sense."_

" _ **Never mind that. Just leave now!"**_

I shook my head sadly. _"Not without you."_

His frustration gave way to resignation. _**"Then tell Joey to pull out the bolt with the pipe."**_

I blinked. _"Huh?"_

" _ **Just do it!"**_

I turned my attention to my friends. Tristan had fetched Yugi's deck from the dueling arena, and now both he and Joey were trying to detach the Puzzle from its chain. "The pipe, Joey," I said with a cracked voice. I could really use some water. "Get the pipe."

"The pipe?" said Joey. I saw him look around, and then his eyes seemed to land on something. "Got it!" He ran over to the edge of the dueling platform and grabbed a long pole. He soon returned and struck the bolt with his new tool.

" _ **That's not what I meant…"**_

But I understood. "Use it as a lever to pull the bolt out of the wall."

"Oh, good idea," Joey said. He slipped the pole through the hold in the bolt. He and Tristan each took a side of the pipe and pulled hard.

Slowly but surely, the bolt loosened and eventually fell from the wall. Unfortunately, Yugi and I had both still been hanging onto the Puzzle, and its sudden freedom meant we crashed to the floor. Knowing the Puzzle was safe, I finally released my grip.

"I've got you," Joey said as he scooped me into his arms while Tristan picked up Yugi, who held the Puzzle.

"Th-thank you," I said, giving him a weak smile.

Joey did not look amused. "You're both mad!"

We finally exited the building, and I welcomed the oxygen into my lungs. Firefighters and an ambulance were already there. My eyes fell to Yugi and the Puzzle. I regretted nothing. They were safe.

Exhaustion overcame my body and mind, and everything went black.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey, everyone! I hope y'all made it here okay. Season 2 has finally begun! I'm excited about what's going to happen really soon. Hopefully you'll get to see a lot more character development. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I regained consciousness in Domino Hospital. Yugi and I were placed in the same room with a curtain that could be drawn between us for privacy. Thankfully, we received treatment in time. We had severe burns, but there was no permanent damage. A minute more and we could have loss a limb… or worse.

I tried not to think about it as we lightheartedly chatted with Joey, Tristan, and Tea. We had survived – all three of us – and that was all that mattered. Yugi felt the same way. Our friends still thought we were nuts, but that was to be expected.

Yugi's grandfather and my siblings were the next to visit. They all gave us a good scolding before expressing their relief that we were safe. Kenji cracked jokes with Joey while Sakiko latched onto me like I was going to disappear on her. Poor kid. She had also been through a lot with Mokuba's previous kidnapping and me running off to Duelist Kingdom.

Only Raiden made me uncomfortably. He said little and kept looking from Yugi to me. More than once I saw him eye the Millennium Puzzle. It was then I wished I was a normal girl and that the suspicion I felt from him was merely due to a supposed romantic pull between Yugi and me. Instead, I sensed that my eldest brother saw – and knew – much more than he was letting on. I was too afraid to question him.

Eventually, everyone left for the night, and Yugi and I could talk in private. We were both comfortable in our beds with no curtain between us. Still, awkward silence filled the air. I took a deep breath. I might as well be the one to break it.

"Yugi," I began, taking his attentive gaze as a sign to continue, "when we were in that fire, did you feel that surge of strength that let us hold on a little longer?"

Yugi nodded. "And I heard Yami say it came from _you_. Do you know what he meant by that?"

I bit my lip and shook my head. "No. I don't have that kind of power – at least that I'm aware of. I never saw my mom do anything like that."

Yugi appeared thoughtful. "Maybe it has something to do with your connection to the Millennium Puzzle."

I glanced at the folded hands in my lap above the sheets. "Maybe." I hoped that was not the case.

"Thank you for helping me, by the way. I know you're trying to keep your distance from Yami and all this Millennium Item stuff, but you stayed with us when anyone else would have fled. I know he appreciates it too."

Despite my misgivings, his words filled me with warmth. I was glad I could do something for him – for them. Still, this proved that there was something here I could not run from. I held in a sigh as I turned my head to look at Yugi. "I don't know why I did it. I mean, you're my friends and I wanted to help, but it was like there was something inside of me that refused to let me leave even if I had wanted to."

"I know exactly what you mean."

I felt a shiver pass through me as our gazes locked. This was not just about the Millennium Puzzle, was it. It was about the Spirit _inside_ the Puzzle. Then I remembered something that suddenly seemed important. He deserved to know what Bakura and I were doing there in the first place, even if the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle had been on his side this time. "Yugi, there's something I've got to-"

"Samia! There you are!"

The desperate cry snapped my attention, and my eyes flew to the door. A very distressed Bakura – the good Bakura – stood there. Just as I wondered why he had not come earlier, I had a very bad feeling about what was about to go down.

"Hey, Bakura!" Yugi said much too cheerfully. "Good thing you left when you did, then? I would hate to see caught in the fire as well. Thanks again for your help back there."

Bakura let out a heavy sigh. "That's just it. That wasn't me, was it?" His eyes bore into mine, but thankfully they were not accusatory. Still, my throat grew dry and my body rigid.

"What's he talking about, Samia?" Yugi's voice came out confused and concerned.

"It was the Spirit of the Millennium Ring who brought Samia to the warehouse," Bakura said, his eyes never leaving mine.

"But I thought Tristan got rid of the Ring."

Bakura reached under his shirt and pulled out the Ring, making me flinch. "That didn't work, see? It seems once you're bonded to an Item it's nearly impossible to get rid of it."

Guilt washed through me as I looked from Bakura to Yugi. "I'm sorry, guys. I didn't sense the presence of the Spirit until this morning, and then it was too late. He-he said he wanted to help, so I went with him."

Bakura's expression softened. "It's not your fault, Samia. It's mine. I may not have been in control, but I was still with you and couldn't protect you."

"If the Spirit took over, there was nothing you could do," Yugi said.

"Right, you couldn't know he would do that," I said.

Bakura smiled ruefully. "It doesn't matter. He put you in danger, and I was not strong enough to stop him. If you had not been there with this morning, you would not have been dragged into the whole mess."

"Well, yeah, but-"

"And it's only going to happen again if I stick around."

My body went cold as I sensed the seriousness in his emotions. "Wh-what are you saying?"

"I think we should spend some time apart. The Spirit could hurt you and I could do nothing about it. I would probably put Yugi in danger too." His eyes were full of sorrowful resignation while my own filled with tears.

"You don't have to do this. We can help you!"

Bakura shook his head. "I think it's too late for that. If you want to find a way to help, do it when I'm not around. Any information you find out would probably be used against you anyway." He stepped closer to my bed and reached out his hand but then hesitated and pulled it back. "I'm sorry, Samia. I think this is for the best. It won't be forever."

What could I say to that? Part of me knew it was true. I still feared the power of the Millennium Ring, but admitting that meant I had to finally face everything I had been running from. It did not help that I could feel how hard this was for him. "I – I'll miss you."

"Me too."

"Are you sure about this, Bakura?" Yugi said.

Bakura gave him a sad smile. "I am. Take care of her, Yugi. She'll be safer with you – both of you."

"Th-that won't keep me out of danger," I said. Turning to Yami meant I would have to get even further involved.

"But you'll be on the right side. And I think it'll end up worse for you if you keep denying what you're feeling. You're stronger than you think, Samia. Find your courage and do what's right."

"You can count on us," Yugi said.

Bakura nodded. "Thank you." Then he turned his sad gaze back on me. "I'm sorry, Samia. Goodbye." He turned and fled the room just as his emotions threatened to take over him.

Once he was gone, I choked on a sob. I understood what he was doing, but my heart felt like it had been pierced. I rubbed my eyes with my arm, but my vision was still blurred. "Bakura…" I whimpered.

"Samia?" Yugi spoke cautiously yet compassionately. "I understand if you want to be alone… but you can come over here if you want."

Normally I would have preferred to be alone at a time like this, but the idea of losing my best friend made the prospect terrifying. I slipped out of my bed and scurried across the floor. I climbed onto Yugi's bed and lay next to him outside the covers.

"I'm sorry about Bakura," Yugi said in a gentle tone. "He's only trying to do what he thinks is best for you."

I stared up at the ceiling. "I thought things could get back to normal. Was I a fool?"

"No, not at all. I think we all thought things could get back to something close to normal." He sighed. "I didn't choose this either."

I met his sad gaze. He was as stuck as I was, wasn't he? He must have felt as pulled to the Millennium Puzzle as I did. While he had made his own choices, it probably felt like there was only one path for me. Would I eventually feel the same way?

I swallowed and found my throat dry. "I – I need some time to think about this. Maybe later I will be ready to dig into my past – and all this magic stuff." I still had not opened the puzzle box my grandma left for me.

Yugi nodded. "Me too. I don't know what's going on either, but it almost feels like we were brought together for a reason, you know?"

I had to agree, and the thought thrilled and scared me at the same time. I guess I had to take the bad with the good.

Yugi and I were released from the hospital on Tuesday, four days after we had been admitted. My siblings fretted over me some more, but I was in a sullen mood. Back at school, Bakura had switched seats with another boy, so I basically found myself sitting next to a stranger. My former friend ignored me whenever I got near, and I sensed it was because this was as hard on him as it was on me.

Yugi seemed to be almost as moody. He must have been trying to take everything in as well. While we both had chatted lightheartedly with our friends in the hospital, now neither of us had much to say to anyone – or each other.

I started walking home from school alone on Thursday when someone grabbed my arm, stopping me. It was Tea. I gave her a blank look. "Yes?"

She hesitated, uncertainly all over her face and emotions. "Are-are you alright, Samia? You seem to be pretty down, lately. You and Yugi both."

I shrugged. "We both realized how much danger we're in, and we don't even know who the enemy is or what to do about it."

Tea bit her lip and glanced down. "I see. Have you talked to him recently?"

I shook my head. "I don't think either of us have talked to anyone recently. We want to be alone."

Tea looked up. "I understand that, but I don't think it's good for either of you! If you can't confide in me, then I think you should try to cheer each other up. Nothing is going to get accomplished like this."

She had a point, but I did not know if Yugi would want to talk to me. Still, I could tell me friend was trying to help. I did not want to cause her pain by continuing to ignore everyone. "I can try, but I don't know what good it will do."

Tea immediately felt relieved. "Thanks, Samia. If you need help with anything, I'm here for you."

I smiled slightly, genuinely touched by her kindness. "Thanks. I'll talk to Yugi the next time I see him." I probably would get my chance the following day. Right now, I just wanted to go home and play with my cat.

It turned out Yugi wanted to talk to me as well. He thought it would be nice to get away from everything and have some fun together. I was kind of surprised but also pleased. We agreed to meet at Domino Station early Sunday morning.

I wrung my hands in front of me while I waited at the edge of the station. I did not know why I was so nervous. This was just Yugi. We hung out all the time. It was not like it was a date or anything.

My mind wandered as I gazed at all the people around me. Then I snapped to attention when I saw Yugi depart a train. I was about to call out to him when I saw him stop and… talk to himself? Getting closer, I realized that Yugi had suddenly switched places with Yami – unexpectedly it seemed like.

"Yugi, this isn't a duel!" Yami said, yelling at the Puzzle and earning some odd stares from passersbiers.

"Er, Yami?" I said cautiously.

His head snapped up and he looked at me with panic in his eyes. "Samia! I'm sorry about this. Yugi set me up. I'll try to get him back."

I frowned. Why did his words disappoint me? I was still avoiding him, right? I had not talked to him since we got back from Duelist Kingdom. Yet, standing here, I found myself wanting to do anything I could to keep him there with me. He could not possibly feel the same way. I lowered my head, letting my hair cover my eyes. "You don't want to spend time with me. I get it."

"What? No! I thought _you_ did not want to talk to _me_."

I looked up to see the confusion and distress I felt form him mirrored in his eyes. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just – I thought it was best that way." _Like how Bakura thinks it's best to stay away from you?_ I pushed the voice away. "Besides, you've got Yugi to talk to. You're not missing much."

Yami's expression softened, and he took a step towards me. "That's not true at all. You have been a wonderful friend to me, and I would love to spend more time with you. I thought I needed to give you space. I suppose Yugi did this because he got tired of putting up with my emotions."

This surprised me. He really missed me that much? I did not think that was possible. I bit my lip and shook my head. "But you're so strong and confident – like a lion. You're on a whole different level than me. You shouldn't want someone like me hanging around you. I'd only drag you down."

"A lion, huh?" He placed a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up into his blazing eyes. "Do you know what I think you are? I hope I've learned my animals correctly – a badger."

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Badgers are calm and peaceful. They mind their own business and don't want to trouble anyone – like you."

"I – I guess so."

His second hand fell to my shoulder, and my heartbeat quickened. "But if someone attacks them or their friends or family, they are some of the fiercest animals around. They are defenders and protectors. That is how I see you."

"I – you must be mistaken."

A smile played on the edge of his lips. "I am never wrong." He dropped his arms to his sides, and I could finally breathe. "I do not wish to force anything on you. I have left you alone because I did not want you to get hurt, but now I see you'll be in danger regardless. I can protect you better if you're with me. I would be honored to have you fight by my side."

His confident words had my head spinning. I did not like his talk of fighting, and I doubted the ability he saw in. Still, some of what he said struck a cord. "I need some time to process this, okay?" I took a deep breath. "But I do know I want to be your friend."

His expression relaxed, and he gave me a genuine smile. "That is enough for now. Shall we get this day started?"

I led Yami into a coffee shop and ordered us a couple of drinks. I played with my fingers, not knowing what to say. The idea of spending the entire day alone with him made me nervous. Yugi must have been very serious, for I could not feel his presence at all. I marveled at the connection between Yugi and Yami and how they could choose how close they were to the surface.

"This is good," Yami said, motioning to his coffee mug.

I smiled slightly. "Just don't drink too much. I'm not sure Yugi's body can handle all the caffeine."

He chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He took a sip. "Do you have any idea what we could do today?"

"Well…" My eyes fell to the newspaper on the table, and the word 'Egypt' caught my eye. Curious, I picked up the paper and quickly scanned the article. "Hey, it looks like a new Egyptian exhibit has opened up at the Domino Museum. And look – one of the carvings has the same symbol that is on the Millennium Items." I flipped the paper over to show him the photo.

Yami's eyes lit with interest. "You're right, Samia." Then doubt clouded his emotions. "But can it really be that easy to find out about my past? I've lived for so long with no memories at all."

I bit my lip and set he paper down. My heart swelled with the desire to do something – anything for him. I hesitantly reached out my hand and placed it on top of his. I felt his surprise, but then his emotions softened as he took hold of my hand and squeezed it, sending warmth up my arm. "You have new memories now, and learning about your past won't change that. And I – I need to learn about my family's history and who I am. I think I'm ready." I took a deep breath. "So I think we should check out the exhibit."

Calm resolve took over Yami's features, and he nodded. "If you're sure."

"B-but we don't have to go right away." The idea of delving into all of this still frightened me, and I needed some time to work up to it. Maybe we both did. "You haven't had a chance to relax and explore the city like a normal human, right? Since Yugi is giving you this day, we might as well make the best of it. Let me show you around town and have some fun."

"That does not sound like a bad idea." He stood up and placed his hands on the table. "We should do it."

So I led him out of the coffee shop and into the city. Not knowing where to go first, I just started to roam downtime. We stopped at anything that caught our eye. We checked out a few stores, saw a movie, hung out at the arcade, and then came across a game shop. I had to smile when Yami acted just like a kid in a candy shop while he searched for new Duel Monsters cards.

I grew more relaxed the more time I spent with him. It was obvious that there was something different about him, but he was still human just like everyone else. I found myself wishing it could be like this every day, and I kept delaying our trip to the museum. Something told me that the closer we got to his past the closer I got to losing him.

After a fantastic meal at one of my favorite sushi restaurants, we unwound in a small park near the pier. I liked this place because there were never too many people around. Today, for example, a young couple sat on the bench on the other side and several children attempted to climb a tree. I walked with Yami along the edge of the park lined with trees.

"Thank you for today," Yami said. "I have had a good time."

I smiled, feeling my heart warmed. "So did I. I suppose we'll have to thank Yugi later."

He chuckled lightly. "Indeed."

Sensing something, I held out my arm to stop him from going further. "Hold on."

I felt him tense beside me. "What is it?" he said in a low voice.

I felt bad for putting him on guard like that. Sometimes I forgot that others could not read the mood as easily as me. "It's nothing like that," I whispered. I put a finger to my lips and he nodded, relaxing a little.

I crouched down and reached my hand forward towards the bushes. I held my breath as I kept completely still. Finally, a small nose peaked out form the bushes followed by a white snout and then red head. I smiled as the fox took one hesitant step after the other. She fully exposed her bushy tail as she sniffed my hand. When she pushed her head into my palm, I knew I was in the clear.

"Amazing," Yami whispered. "I've never seen anyone get that close to a fox."

"Wild animals seem to like me." I smiled as I rubbed the vixen's head. "Do you want to try?"

Yami suddenly felt alarmed. "I will surely scare it away! And what if it bites?"

I scratched under the fox's chin. "No, she's very sweet. Come here. Just stay calm and let me show you."

The fox was on guard as Yami knelt beside me. He gave her a weak smile, and I could tell he was trying hard to reign in his emotions. He cautiously raised his hand.

"Good. Just take it slowly." I placed my hand over his and guided it closer to the fox. The animal bristled at first, but she did not run away. When Yami's hand hovered above her head, my hand moved to pet her. Once she was comfortable again, I took his hand and gently placed it on top of the fox. Then I moved my hand down her back. "See? She likes."

"That's incredible. You have a gift, Samia. It must be your gentleness and sensitivity that animals love."

I felt myself blush. "I guess so. I always thought it was connected to my powers. My mom was good with animals."

"I'm sure she was a wonderful person. You must miss her a lot."

"Yes." The vixen must have sensed my sadness, for she gave a little 'yip.' I withdrew my hand and nodded at her. "Thank you." I watched until she retreated into the bushes. Then I sat down and sighed. "It hurts to think about my parents or anything to do with Egypt." I gazed at Yami. "Sometimes I think it would be easier if I didn't remember them at all. Then I would not know what I had lost."

Yami looked at me silently for a minute, but I could feel his compassion and understanding. "I am sure it would sadden me to remember everyone I must have left behind in Egypt. However, I would also gain happy memories of wonderful friends. I would remember the lessons they taught me. I feel lost without knowing who I am and how others have affected me."

I had not considered this perspective before, and I supposed he was the one who would know all about it. "Perhaps you're right…" If Yami and I did have to part at some point, I would not want to forget him, no matter how painful the memories would become. I would not want to forget any of my friends.

Deciding something, I stood up and brushed off my pants. "Come on. Let's get to that museum. Let's find out something about your past – and mine."

"Are you sure?" Yami said as he stood. "I can go alone."

I shook my head. "No, I'm ready to face it now. I'm done running away. We'll do this together."

A bright smile lit Yami's face. "Thank you."


	3. Chapter 17

" _This is not a dream that I'm living  
This is just a world of your own  
You took me from all that I knew  
Shown me how it feels to hope_"

– "Lion" by Rebecca St. James

Chapter 17

The Egyptian artifacts surrounding us made me tense. They reminded me of the parents I had lost. At the same time, I could not ignore the burning curiosity I had buried deep inside of me. It was time to dig it up.

"Are you going to be alright?" Yami asked, sending me a concerned look.

I nodded. "I'll be fine. I have to do this." At least he was there with me. We could make it through together. I did not know where to start, so I let him take the lead.

Yami paused in front of a door that led downstairs. It was blocked off by a rope, and an arrow pointing to the left had been posted on the door. I sensed that something important was down there, and I could tell that Yami felt it too. We exchanged a knowing look. We had to go down there.

Yami took the lead, and I followed close behind. The way down was dark, causing fear to flicker inside me. I focused on the person in front of me and continued. Thankfully, the room at the bottom was well lit. I gasped at the glass-covered plaque I saw in front of us.

"Is that an ancient Egyptian stone?" I said, stepping closer to examine the plaque. There were two men carved in the stone with two figures above them: a dragon and a magician.

Yami nodded. "Those look like Duel Monsters."

"That guy has hair just like you and Yugi!" I said, pointing to the man on the right. "He looks very… royal." I remembered what I had learned from Pegasus. My ancient ancestors served the pharaoh…

"Look, around his neck."

A gasp escaped my lips. "The Millennium Puzzle?" I turned to Yami with wide eyes. "Is that guy you?"

"I believe you are correct. This appears to be me playing some form of ancient Duel Monsters. This is exactly the kind of clue I've been looking for, but I wish I were able to decipher its meaning." His eyes darted around as he searched the stone. "Who am I dueling against, for a start? What was this age-old game all about? Was it even a game?"

My throat had gone dry, but I willed myself to speak anyway. "I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. There's no rush, right?" I did not understand why I was slowly filling with trepidation.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. It's simply frustrating." A tight smile crossed his lips. "Just when I find one answer, a thousand new questions arise."

I tentatively touched his arm. "I'll help you answer them."

"My pharaoh: I've been expecting you."

Both of us turned to face the female speaker. A woman emerged from a darkened room, and I immediately saw from her clothes and skin tone that she was Egyptian. My senses drew my eyes to the gold object around her neck that had the same symbolic eye as the Millennium Items. Then a pang hit me in the heart. There was something extremely familiar about her, almost like I had met her before…

"Who are you?" Yami said as the woman approached, staring straight at him.

"I am Ishizu," she said, "and I have uncovered many mysteries of you and these ancient carvings using the magic of my Millennium Necklace."

Yami looked at her in surprise. "Another Millennium Item!"

"I knew it," I said under my breath. At least I felt no evil from this one – just the normal uneasiness I felt around all the Millennium Items.

Ishizu touched the necklace. "Like your Millennium Puzzle, this Necklace affords me certain powers. With it I can gaze at least 5,000 years into the past to a time when evil sorcerers threatened to destroy the entire world."

I gasped. She could see the _past_? Then she must have all the answers! I waited with baited breath to hear what else she had to say.

"However, there was one king who possessed a magic powerful enough to stop this evil threat."

"And who was this king?" Yami asked.

"The pharaoh who saved the world was you, Yami, and now the time has come for you to rescue mankind once again."

"To rescue mankind? From what? How do you know the world is in danger of being destroyed again?"

"My Millennium Necklace also shows me visions of the future." She touched her necklace again as sadness threatened to take over her. "Oh, my pharaoh… The events of the past will occur once again, and that same great evil will return to threaten us."

"How will I recognize this evil?"

"I know that your memory has faded, my pharaoh, and that you seek many answers. I also know a Duel Monsters tournament is beginning. If you win it, you will find your answers."

This new information brought a swarm of questions to my own mind. If she could see the past, did she know how and why the Millennium Items were created? Why did I feel at least a hint of foreboding around all of them? Why was I _immune_ to them? Why did I get the feeling they were a key component to everything? And the Ring…

"I have not forgotten you, Samia," Ishizu said, snapping me out of my thoughts. A faint smile graced her lips. "It is nice to see you again after all these years."

"You two know each other?" Yami said in surprise.

So, I wasn't just imagining things. "I met you when I was in Egypt, didn't I? Back when I was seven."

Ishizu nodded. "That's right. For centuries our families lived together, guarding the same secrets, until one day your grandmother made the choice to migrate to Japan. Her decision was questioned then, but now I can see there was a divine purpose behind it all, for you have been united with the pharaoh as was foretold."

I furrowed my eyebrows in thought. So even my grandma had been compelled to make choices that would lead to this conclusion. What sort of powerful purposes were at work here?

"If you would like to examine the carvings, my pharaoh, Samia and I will talk in private."

Yami glanced at me, and I nodded. "That sounds fine," he said.

"Let us go into this room," said Ishizu. She led me into the room she had first emerged from and flipped on the lights.

"What more can you tell me?" I said when she turned to face me. "My mother hid everything from me, and my grandma never had a chance to say much. I just know I'm an empath who's supposed to help the pharaoh." And what kind of help, I had no idea. If he was so powerful, why couldn't he do it on his own?

Ishizu nodded. "That is correct. I have seen your ancestor who lived with and served Yami."

I instantly perked up. "Really? What was her name?"

"Unfortunately, I was not able to gather that information. However, I do know she was a courageous young woman who used her powers to assist the pharaoh and the people of Egypt."

I clenched my fists and bit back my frustration. "But how? I know I can affect people's emotions, but can that really change the course of anything?"

Ishizu smiled warmly. "I can think of at least one person you were able to greatly affect just by being yourself."

I widened my eyes when I realized what she was talking about. I remembered the dreams I had been having. At least parts of them were memories. "You're talking about your brother, right?" Yes, there had been too of them. I wished my memory was not so faint. "I can't remember much about him, not even his name…"

"Marik."

"That's right! Where is he, anyway?" I glanced around the room as if expecting to find him hidden somewhere. "Still in Egypt?"

"He's… on a trip," Ishizu said evenly. A slight shift in her emotions made me uneasy, and I knew she was hiding something from. "That does not matter. It is important for you to know that he does remember you and is grateful to you for everyone you did for him back then. You have a greater power over people than you know."

"O-Okay." I still did not understand, but right now I was more focused on what Ishizu concealed from me. She was excellent at hiding her emotions, but I could still detect sadness. Did she know more than she was letting on? "So, what exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Help the pharaoh in whichever way your intuition leads you. Trust your instincts to lead you down the right path." She paused as if considering something. "There is one more piece of information you should know, Samia. The empath served under the pharaoh, yes, but she was also independent of him. Other advisors sometimes feared to speak their minds if meant opposing the pharaoh's opinion, but the bond between the pharaoh and empath allowed the empath to speak and act freely without fear of retribution.

"This means you do not always have to stay by the pharaoh's side and follow his lead. You need to trust yourself and your own powers. The empath assists the pharaoh by dealing in the realm of emotions. Your struggle is different from his, and in many ways your future will be filled with more pain. I do not envy you in the least."

I bit my lip as the uneasiness grew. Well, that was just great. "So, my friends will be put in danger again?"

"Necessarily, but that's not the pain I speak of. There is a greater struggle to overcome than seeing your friends in simple _physical_ danger."

Her smile did not reach her eyes, and I felt the sadness again. She spoke like someone who knew this pain herself. My mind whirled with thoughts and emotions. What could be worse than seeing and feeling my closest friends being nearly killed? "I – I don't know if I'll be able to handle it."

"You'll find your courage when you need it. Now, Samia, it is time you rejoin your friend." She started to turn her back on me.

"W-Wait! There's something you're not telling me. What else do you know? What is this danger?"

This time Ishizu did not bother to hide her sorrow as she shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "I'm afraid that is all you can handle right now. Just remember that there are some things only you can do, Samia. Believe in yourself." Then she slipped into the next room, leaving me alone.

I felt numb as I returned to Yami. He had been gazing intently at the stone but looked at me when I approached. "What did she say?" he asked.

"Just some more stuff about being an empath." I shrugged. "She just left me with more questions than before."

He chuckled lightly. "Then we're in the same boat. Shall we make out departure?"

I nodded, and we headed for the stairs.

We decided to return to Yugi's place. There we found an invitation to a Duel Monsters tournament just like Ishizu said. We had to go to the Domino City Station to find out more information. The instructions were so mysterious that I had a feeling I knew who was in charge of this thing.

We talked about what we had learned as we walked together. I summarized the information Ishizu had given me while leaving out some of the personal stuff. If even I did not understand it, how could Yami? At least he knew what he had to do. To follow his destiny, he had to win this tournament. Now if I just knew where I came in. For now, I decided to just stick by him and help any way I could.

We were stopped at the station when suddenly I heard a strange laugh. I looked at Yami and knew he had heard it too, however, everyone else seemed completely oblivious. Yami shook his head. Maybe our trip to the museum had just spooked us out.

"Hey, Yugi!" a feminine voice called out. "There you are!"

"It's Mai Valentine," Yami said.

Mai ran towards us with a grin on her face, waving her arm energetically. "I know you guys missed me!"

"Of course, Mai," I said with a small smile. "It's good to see you again." Honestly, her energetic attitude was a relief amid everything I had been feeling that day.

"You too, Samia." Mai flung her arm around my neck, nearly choking me in the process. "You're looking snazzy. Is this a date?"

I flushed. "N-No." I wiggled out of her grasp and stepped away from her.

Mai looked from Yami to me and smirked. "Sure, it's not."

"I assume you've come here for the tournament," Yami said. Something was bugging him all of a sudden, but I could not figure out what.

"But of course," Mai said. "I presume you got an invitation also."

"Yes, I did, but it didn't say who it was from. Do you know who's hosting this tournament?"

"I have no idea. It's a mystery. Nobody seems to know. Everybody I spoke to got an anonymous invitation. But there is a buzz going around that it's someone with a ton of cash and an obnoxious attitude. I'd guess Kaiba."

Yami gasped, and something flashed in his eyes. "That must be why Ishizu told me to enter!"

I blinked, feeling totally lost. "Huh?"

"Didn't you notice the second carving we saw today looked like Kaiba?"

I shrugged. "Kind of, I guess."

"If the events of the past are going to happen again, I must face Kaiba in this tournament."

I titled my head to the side and considered this conclusion. "Maybe… but I get the feeling that he's not our primary enemy… and maybe not an enemy at all."

"What are you two mumbling about?" Mai said. "Anyway, nobody knows for sure who it is that's throwing this thing."

"I suppose we'll find out soon," Yami said.

"It's pretty safe to say it's not Pegasus again."

"Speaking of Pegasus," Yami said, looking around at the duelists gathered in the streets, "this is beginning to look like Duelist Kingdom all over again."

"You can say that again. There certainly are a lot of familiar faces in this crowd, most of whom I'm not too happy to see."

I recognized many of the duelists as well, most of whom gave me an unpleasant feeling. I hope there would be no unnecessary mishaps in this tournament.

Suddenly, big and bright TV screens all around the plaza lit up, showing the face of none other than Seto Kaiba. "Greetings, duelists," Kaiba said from the TV. "Welcome to the town of Domino. But more importantly, welcome to my tournament. I see you each received your private invite to Kaiba Corp's very exclusive Duel Monsters tournament, and you had enough brains to show up here tonight. Being that you are all elite duelists, I've added special rules to my tournament just for experts. For example, you will duel using these new improved duel disks. Another new rule that I designed for the tournament is that, before each duel, both players must ante up their rarest card, and the loser of the duel forfeits his card to the winner. My competition will make Pegasus and his Duelist Kingdom Tournament look like a joke."

A strung wind picked up, and an engine was heard throughout the plaza. We all looked up to see a helicopter descending, and Kaiba stood on the landing strut.

"Kaiba!" Yami exclaimed, locking eyes with him.

Kaiba pointed his finger to the sky and declared: "Don't forget to register and pick up your duel disk 'cause, exactly one week from today, my Battle City Tournament begins!"

"You're on, Kaiba!"

Kaiba returned to the interior of the helicopter, and it flew off. Yami relaxed only slightly. I touched his arm and suggested we return home. We had a lot to think about. After bidding farewell to Mai, we headed back to catch a train.

Yami insisted on bringing me all the way home to my house. It really did feel like a date as we stood on my front stoop saying goodbye.

"I had a good time today, Samia," Yami said, now calm and at ease. "I hope we have the chance to do this again sometime."

I smiled. "Me too."

"I am not sure what Battle City has in store for us, but I hope I can count on you to stay by my side."

I did not have to think about it this time. "You can. I won't run away. I want to be with you to help you."

"Thank you."

Yami's smile warmed my heart. I remembered my mother's warning, but she never told me it would be so hard to resist. Before I could decide against it, I wrapped my arms around Yami in a hug, which he immediately returned. Peace and contentment flooded my body. My mother must have been wrong.

* * *

The following week turned out to be eventful. Yami obviously told Yugi everything he had learned at the museum, and Yugi in turn told Tea, Tristan, and Joey about Battle City. Joey was determined to enter as well in order to help Yugi and Yami save the world – from who or what we still did not know, though I had a bad feeling about it.

Joey's sister Serenity's eye operation was on Tuesday. Joey barely made it there in time. Apparently, he was attacked by a guy calling himself a Rare Hunter, and after he defeated him in a duel, he took his rarest card – the Red Eyes Black Dragon. He was bummed about it but determined to win his card back in the tournament. At least Serenity's operation went well, though she was told to remain in the hospital for a few days before removing the bandages around her eyes.

I invited Yugi over on Saturday evening to have another look at the puzzle box my grandma left me. I had a feeling it would be of good use to me in the tournament. After not having any luck, Yugi switched places with Yami to let him have a go. The Spirit studied the box for several long minutes. Then he moved some pieces around, and I heard a 'click' sound.

"Did you get it?" I said, my excitement rising. We sat on my bed in my room, my cat next to me.

Yami smiled and handed me the box "See for yourself."

The picture appeared complete, and I could remove the lid. "Thank you! That would have taken me ages on my own."

He chuckled. "You would have figured it out eventually. So, what's in the box?"

The box held two small objects. I picked up the first: a smooth, white stone that fit in the palm of my hand. I felt a surge of energy the second I touched it, causing my eyes to go wide. "Whoa."

"Let me have a look."

I passed him the stone, and this time we both felt the spark. While he examined the stone, I picked up a small, golden key. "I wonder what this opens." Probably another puzzle, knowing my grandma.

"There is something special about this stone," Yami said as he gave it back to me, "though I cannot figure out what. Keep it with you."

"I will." The stone felt almost warm in my hand. If I found whatever the key opened, would I find my grandmother's explanation? I slipped the rock and key into my pocket for safe keeping.

"Your grandmother sure was mysterious."

"Along with everyone else in this whole mess. Do you want to step outside? I feel like seeing the stars."

Yami nodded. "That's not a bad idea."

I got off the bed and made my way through the house. The summer air felt good on my skin. I stopped in my yard and lifted my head upward. Twinkling stars dazzled the night sky, making me glad there were no clouds. Yami stood beside me, and silence passed between us.

Finally, Yami spoke in a calm, even tone: "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

I took a minute to respond. "I'd be readier if I knew what to expect. My role in all of this isn't exactly clear." And Ishizu's words frightened me. Was my fate so terrible that I would seek to avoid it if I knew the truth?"

"Neither is mine. But we can face whatever comes as long as we stay together. And we also have Yugi, Joey, and all our friends."

"I suppose you're right." I felt his gaze on my, but I kept my eyes on the stars.

"I am glad I may now speak openly with you, Samia. It was hard to keep my distance, but I still watched over you."

I bit down on my lip and hoped I did not blush. "S-Sorry about that." I paused. Something about his emotions and the way he spoke struck me. "Did you think I would want to talk to you again?"

"I hoped so, and I had a feeling you would. I do not know what the future has in store for us, but I sense it will be big."

I snuck a glance at him and smiled. "Yeah, me too." Despite everything, I could not ignore the warmth I felt standing next to him. For the first time, I allowed myself to believe I really could face my destiny… as long as we were together.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for waiting, everyone! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. We're getting to some good stuff. ;)


	4. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Yugi picked me up at my house early the first day of Duelist Kingdom. Actually, Yugi and Yami had already merged into one. I suddenly realized that, even for me, this duality would be highly confusing. How would I know who to address? It was easy for everyone else who would take him for Yugi alone. I would have to pay careful attention to tell who spoke to me.

After much teasing from my brothers, we exited my house. Then Yugi turned around to face me. "Samia, I've been thinking about something." It was Yami who spoke. "We can communicate through our mind when you touch the Millennium Puzzle, correct?"

I nodded. "That's right."

"Let us see if we can use the Puzzle and your powers to connect our minds so we will always be able to communicate in that way."

"Could we really do that?" The idea filled me with happiness.

He smiled. "It would not hurt to try. Go ahead and touch the Puzzle."

I placed my hand on top of the Millennium Puzzle, and Yami placed both of his hands on top of mine. I focused hard on our connection. I could feel some sort of power coming through the Puzzle and into me. Once the power faded, I let go of the Puzzle and looked up at Yami.

 _ **"Samia? Can you hear me?"**_

Excitement bubbled inside me. _"I can hear you!"_

Yami smiled and nodded. _**"Good. We can talk this way if you need to speak to me rather than Yugi."**_

 _"Sounds good to me!"_

We smiled at each other and then departed for the train station. I was glad we had found this solution. Now it was like we would always be together even if no one around us knew it. And no one would give me off looks for the way I talked to 'Yugi.'

We arrived at the city center plaza just as fireworks were lit overhead. The plaza swarmed with duelists, some with good intentions and others with ill motives. Either way, they all had powerful emotions that made me dizzy. I really had to work on blocking them out.

Many of the duelists we knew greeted us, including Mai. I smiled and nodded when appropriate. In all honesty, I wanted the duels to start so I would have something to focus on All of this stimulation was overwhelming. Eventually, Yugi broke away from the crowd to search for Joey. I tried to use my senses to find him, but there were way too many people around for that to work.

We were on the roof to get a better view when Kaiba's voice rang throughout the plaza. I looked up to see an airship decked out with huge video screens, all displaying Kaiba's face. He explained the tournament rules, including some dueling rules he had changed to make the game more difficult. The duel disks contained trackers so he could keep an eye on all the duels. A bit paranoid, if you ask me. The clear card every duelist received was locator card, and six of the cards stacked together would reveal the location of the finals, which only eight duelists were allowed to enter. Apparently, even Kaiba, who would also be dueling, did not know the location. Finally, he announced the beginning of the tournament, and the chaos and noise resumed.

I caught sight of a blonde-haired streak chasing a guy in a purple hood. "There's Joey!" I pointed down at the street.

"Good work," Yugi said. "Let's catch up with him!"

We ran down to the street just in time to watch Joey angrily corner the other man. From the looks of it, this was the guy who beat him in a duel and won his Red Eyes Black Dragon card. He did not appear interested in dueling him again. There was something ominous about this stranger that made me shiver. What's more, the robe he wore resembled the one Bandit Keith had when someone forced him to steal the Millennium Puzzle! So, these Rare Hunters were our enemy?

The Rare Hunter continued to refuse a duel to Joey. "I already told you, you have nothing of any use to me, but perhaps your friend would be interested in being my next victim." He sent Yugi a creepy smile and advanced towards him. "It would be my pleasure to hunt Duelist Kingdom's champion and snare his Dark Magician. So, I challenge Yugi Muoto to a duel!"

"Look, this is between you and me," Joey said. "You got it?"

"Joey, wait!" Yugi said sharply. He glared at the other guy. "Fine, Rare Hunter, I accept your challenge!"

Joey looked at him in alarm. "But, Yug-"

"It's the only way to get back your Red Eyes Black Dragon. I promise you I'll beat him, Joey." He looked more confident than I could ever remember seeing him. His Puzzle glowed as Yami took primary control. "So, Rare Hunter, do we have a deal? As my first Battle City opponent, if you lose, you must return Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon! And if you win this duel, I'll hand over my Dark Magician to you."

"Yugi!" Joey exclaimed. "There's no way I'm letting you risk your Dark Magician! I can take him. I'll never forgive myself if that ugly lug takes your most valuable card. I'll deal with this. It's my-"

Yami put his hand in his face to stop him. "Thank you, Joey, but I must duel this Rare Hunter."

"But-"

"I'll have to risk losing my Dark Magician eventually. This is my first Battle City duel and the first step in fulfilling my destiny."

I knew he sensed the same thing that I did. This duel was about more than gaining back Joey's card. Hopefully, if Yami and Yugi could defeat this guy, maybe we could learn more about what was going on and what we were up against.

 _ **"Keep your senses open to anything unusual,"**_ Yami said through our connection. _**"There's something not right about this guy."**_

 _"Agreed."_

"Let's get on with this hunt already," the Rare Hunter said. "The sooner I can take my prize, the better."

"I'm ready to duel whenever you are, Rare Hunter!" Yami said.

"Yug, wait-" Joey said.

"Don't even think about revealing my strategy, Joey Wheeler," said the Rare Hunter. "If you say a word about how I defeated you, I'll tear your Red Eyes Black Dragon to shreds. So, I'd give my mouth a rest if I were you allow me to stop the Duelist Kingdom champion and take his Dark Magician without your commentary."

"Fine," said Yami. "I'll duel you one-on-one."

Yami and the Rare Hunter took their places opposite each other and activated the Duel Disks on their arms. The devices moved so that there was an elevated area where the players could place their cards. Despite the circumstances, I was curious to see how the new technology worked.

Yami played two trap or magic cards face down and summoned Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode. The cards and holograms were displayed just like they would be if this were a dueling arena, but the monsters seemed even more lifelike! They even seemed to trick my senses a little. I would have to be careful not to get too involved. No one would actually get hurt, after all.

Yami appeared off to a good start, while the Rare Hunter continued to play monsters in defense mode and magic cards that allowed him to draw more cards. However, the man appeared confident about something. This was all obviously part of his plan.

Beside me, Joey was a ball of pent-up frustration. It was clear he wanted to blurt out the Rare Hunter's strategy. I admired his self-control, but his anxiety was starting to annoy me. I nudged him in the side with my elbow. "Stop that," I whispered. "Just trust him. He's got this."

Joey gave me a pained look. "But-"

"It would be cheating if you told him, wouldn't it?"

"I doubt this Rare Hunter would think twice about cheating if he could! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he were cheating right now." He crossed his arms and glowered in frustration.

I shook my head. "We can't succumb to the tactics of our enemies. We're better than that."

Joey grunted in acknowledgement. At least he seemed a little less tense than earlier.

"She's right, Joey," Yami said. "You're my friend, and I'm fighting this duel for you just as you would do for me."

Joey nodded. "Right."

"Do you remember the time Weevil through my Exodia cards into the ocean?" This time it was Yugi who spoke. "You risked your life to try to get my cards back, not just because Exodia is the most powerful card in the game, but because I was a friend in need." I sensed something light in his mind. Now Yami address his opponent: "I'm onto you! I know your strategy, Rare Hunter! You're planning to summon Exodia the Forbidden One."

Shock tore through the Rare Hunter, and I cringed. I tried to focus on Joey's feelings of relief.

"Alright!" Joey said with a grin.

Yami gave him a thumbs up. "Thank you, Joey. You allowed me to figure out his strategy without actually telling it to me."

The Rare Hunter composed himself and regained his smug attitude. "Just because you figured out my strategy doesn't mean you can stop me from succeeding. And everyone knows Exodia's the most powerful creature in Duel Monsters. How will you stop the unstoppable Exodia?"

"True, no one has ever defeated Exodia, but in order to win back Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon, I'll be the first."

"Give up, Yugi. My hunt is over!"

The Rare Hunter was way too confident. I tried to remember what Yugi had taught me about Exodia. I did remember that he explained how Weevil Underwood had thrown his cards into the ocean on the ship to Duelist Kingdom. Before that, he had beat Kaiba with the cards. If I remembered correctly, five cards had to be drawn to play Exodia, and then the player automatically won the duel. Could the Rare Hunter already have most of the cards?

I felt Yami and Yugi merge even closer as they drew their next card. They drew Lightforce Sword, a card I remember Yami had picked up when we explored the city together. The card randomly pierced a card in the Rare Hunter's Hand for three turns. Luckily, an Exodia piece was snared. Yami then summoned Summoned Skull and destroyed his opponent's last monster. Unfortunately, the Rare Hunter played Swords of Revealing Light to buy him some time.

Somehow, Yami was still confident he could win. Once Lightforce Sword wore off, the Rare Hunter could play Exodia and win the duel, but Yami couldn't attack and win until after Swords of Revealing Light wore off, which would be after Lightforce Sword. I did not understand how he could win.

The Rare Hunter started to sweat. Clearly, Yami's attitude unnerved him. He played a spare Exodia head in defense move to protect his life points. But then Yami activated the trap card Chain Destruction! A large chain appeared and passed through the Exodia head on the field but destroyed all the Exodia heads in the Rare Hunter's hand and deck. He could no longer paly Exodia!

Then Yami activated Dust Tornado and destroyed Swords of Revealing Light. Now he was able to attack with his monsters and win the duel!

Joey and I cheered from the sidelines. Finally, free from oppressive emotions, I smiled in relief. I should have known he would be able to win this. Faith was something that extended beyond logic and emotions. I felt the strange stone in my pocket burn for a few seconds as if to confirm my revelation.

The Rare Hunter, shook to his core, collapsed on the ground in defeat. Yami marched over to him to take his locator card and Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon card. While searching for the card, he realized the Rare Hunter's cards were marked; he had cheated after all! He ripped up the cards in anger and let them sail to the ground like snow.

"I lost," the guy murmured form the ground, lying on his back while Yami and Joey looked over him. "I failed. Forgive me, master! I tried my best!" He suddenly got to his feet, but he did not seem in control of his body. Instead, it was like he was pulled up by puppet strings. "No, please don't be angry!" I cautiously moved forward to stand beside Yami. Something did not feel right. The Rare Hunter clutched his head and screamed. "No, master! Don't! Please, spare me!"

"Yugi!" Joey exclaimed. "That wacko's lost his mind!"

"I've seen this before," Yami said.

A jolt of pain shot through me just as the Millennium symbol appeared on the man's forehead. I sucked in a sharp breath and hugged myself to keep my emotions under control. Thankfully, my friends were too perplexed to notice.

In an instance, the man's spirit seemed to disappear to be replaced by another, odd presence. Then a weird, mechanical voice came out of him: "We meet again, pharaoh." The man's body nearly fell over but remained standing due to some magical force that made him seem even more like a puppet. "Remember me, pharaoh? Actually, perhaps you don't. You were trapped in the Puzzle when I dueled little Yugi. Congratulations on defeating my Rare Hunter, though he was the weakest duelist in my crew. My other minions will prove much more formidable."

"Yug, what is with this freak show?" Joey said, clearly weirded out.

The man – or, rather, the man controlling him – ignored him. "Pharaoh, I've waited for you for years. Finally, after all this time, I will destroy you. I will not allow my other Rare Hunters to fail me like this one did. I have little time for his kind of foolishness, so I've taken over his body and trapped his mind in the Shadow Realm. I am in control!" As if to prove it, the man's body moved around in all sorts of weird positions.

Joey took a step back. "This guy's creeping me out!"

"How do you control him?" Yami asked. He kept a careful lid on his anger, allowing himself to merely glare at the man.

"Each of the Millennium Items contains its own unique power," the man said. "So, mind control is a simple task with my Millennium Rod."

"No good can come from that power," Yami said. Both he and Yugi were on edge as if waiting for the enemy to strike.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Remember my name: Marik."

My blood instantly ran cold. It felt like I had been hit upside the head with a baseball bat. "No," I whispered, stepping backwards. "There's no way…" This could not be the same Marik I befriended all those years ago. Not Ishizu's brother.

"Marik!" Yami said with venom in his voice. "What is it you want from me, _Marik_?"

"I want what belongs to me," Marik said. "And I'll take it using the strength of the Egyptian god cards."

"Egyptian what?"

"A millennium ago, a trio of powerful behemoths rampaged throughout ancient Egypt. These Egyptian god monsters bred destruction throughout the world until the pharaoh sealed them away for eternity! But when Pegasus created Duel Monsters, he resurrected these mighty beasts as cards. With these Egyptian gods, I can destroy you and claim the power I deserve!"

"You'll never claim the Millennium Puzzle!"

"You misunderstand. I want more than the power of the Puzzle; I want the pharaoh's power – the boundless energy of the ancient ruler himself! With it, no one will stand in my way. I'll use the almighty magic I gain to conquer and lead the world. I will be unstoppable! The end is near, pharaoh. It's my world now!"

"Not yet, Marik. I'm beginning to understand why Ishizu asked me to participate in Battle City. It's my destiny to stand between you and the evil powers you seek, and I will."

 _No, no, no._ That couldn't be right. Marik couldn't be the evil that Ishizu warned about. Now I understand the sadness I felt from her. He _was_ her brother, and she wouldn't have asked Yami to destroy her brother. If she had, wouldn't she have been more specific? And why didn't she warn me away from him? It almost seemed like just the opposite.

"Then your destiny is easier said than done, you fool," Marik said. "Pharaoh, your days are numbered. So, enjoy the game while you still can because your reign is coming to an end!"

"Nooo!" I leapt in front Yami and glared at the body of the Rare Hunter. Feelings of anger, sadness, hurt, and betray flowed through my veins, making it easy to act and not think. "Marik!" His name came out as a cry, a plea. I wished he actually stood before me. I could neither feel nor influence his emotions like this. "You won't hurt Yami – or Yugi! I won't let you!" I did not care if he was an old friend or not. Yami had always protected me, and now it was my turn to protect him. This desire superseded every other emotion.

"Samia!" Yami said in shock.

"Samia, I am glad to see you are well," Marik said. "I have not forgotten you, my little empath. I see you are already drawn to the pharaoh beyond your control. Don't worry; soon I will break the bonds that tie you down and free you!"

My anger flickered, momentarily replaced by surprised. "What are you talking about?"

But his presence left the Rare Hunter, and the body collapsed in a heap.

"It sounded like he knew you," Yami said in an even tone.

I grew rigid. Something told me now was not the time to divulge everything to him. There had to be a reason Ishizu spoke to me alone. "I think I ran into him when I was in Egypt a long time ago. I don't really remember him, though." It was almost the truth. I had to think this over before I decided how much I would share.

I turned around to face him, and he nodded at me. "Stay near me, and I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you."

I gave him a weak smile. "Sure."

Yami held out the Red Eyes card to Joey. "Here you go, Joey. Take your Red Eyes back."

Joey stared at the card. He held conflicting emotions, but I was too drained to sort them out. "Nah, Yug, you hold onto it. It isn't mine to take, pal. You won it fair and square." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away. "If I take it back so easily, I won't be a true duelist. The Red Eyes wouldn't accept it, either. You are a true duelist, Yugi. You're always with me. When I dueled you at Duelist Kingdom, I was fighting for something. That's why I came here. You always play honestly with any opponent. You really gave me a lesson—what I lacked is the player's self-esteem. The Red Eyes Black Dragon is my special card—he is always my partner. That's why I can't take it now. If I did, the Red Eyes wouldn't be happy. Besides, the Rare Hunters are collecting tons of rare cards. Their decks are totally supped up, so I know that they're gonna be tough to beat – even for you."

Yugi emerged at the surface to question his friend: "What are you saying, Joey?"

Joey stared up at the sky, a determined look on his face. "I'm saying that you'll need all the powerful monsters you can get. Plus, you can think of me whenever you play my Red Eyes. It's the least I could do to repay you. See, during the Duelist Kingdom tournament, you taught me rules, killer strategies, and everything else I needed to know to help me get to the finals. I couldn't have done it without your help." Humble gratefulness and affection seeped past his defenses.

"That's what friends do."

Joey fixed his gaze on Yugi. "That's my point exactly, buddy. You always have my back, so it's time I helped you for a change. That's why I want you to keep my Red Eyes Black Dragon. I know it's gonna come in handy for you sometime. Besides, this means that a part of me will be a part of your deck. It's kind of cool knowing that I'm helping you save the world. Don't get me wrong; I'm still in the contest, and I still have the rare card requirement covered. Well, actually, I guess technically you have it covered, Yugi. See, Red Eyes Black Dragon wasn't the only rare card I had in my deck." He pulled out his deck and flipped through the cards. "You gave me another rare card way back when I first started playing Duel Monsters, remember?" He held out a card featuring a humanistic clock.

"The Time Wizard!"

"Yep, it bailed me out of jams in Duelist Kingdom, and I know it's gonna save my butt in Battle City." He looked towards the sky again. "Yugi, you can have my Red Eyes temporarily. I can win with the deck I have prepared. I want to become a True Duelist. In Battle City, I must show you—when I win in this tournament, when I become a True Duelist, please play with me again." He looked at his friend with a fire blazing in his eyes and his heart.

Yugi smiled and nodded. "I understand, Joey. I'll wait until then."

"Thank you." The two of them shook hands, sealing the deal. And then they parted.

I followed Yugi along the road, quietly reflecting on the exchange. It sounded like Joey wanted to defeat Yugi in an honorable duel. I could kind of understand that. That card would mean more to him if he had to work for it.

" _ **Are you alright?"**_ Yami said in my mind, scattering my thoughts. _**"I hope Marik did not scare you too badly."**_

" _No, I'm fine. I'm just wondering why he's doing all of this."_

" _ **Didn't he make it clear? He wants power."**_

" _Well, yes, but there has to be more to it. People don't just wake up one day and decide to take over the world."_

" _ **Perhaps. Do not concern yourself over it. Whatever his reason, the only thing we can do now is stop him. We'll all do it together – you, me, Yugi, and Joey."**_

" _Right."_

I hoped he could not sense my uncertainty. I wondered what he would say if I revealed what Ishizu had told me, but I feared the response would be negative. He might even think Ishizu our enemy. If I knew anything for certain, I knew she was our friend. She just… had a different perspective. A perspective I had to consider if I wanted to do my job correctly.

"Samia, do you think you would be able to sense the presence of Rare Hunters?" Yugi said while we walked through the city.

I hesitated. "I – I don't know. The aura of the Millennium Item being used on them is very faint. If we get close enough to one, perhaps…"

"Could you try? We're sure to find more answers if I duel them. And they might have one of those Egyptian God cards Marik mentioned."

I nodded. "I'll do my best."

Yugi smiled in appreciation.

I spread my senses as far as I could, but I could not pick up anything. We entered an alley with duelists running around, and one of them mentioned that Joey Wheeler was dueling some guy with ESP. Yugi and I exchanged a look. This sounded interesting. We followed the two boys down the street to find the duel.

Soon, we came across a large crowd cheering loudly. If I stood on my toes, I could just make out Joey's blond hair. Yugi tapped on my shoulder and then nodded at a flight of stairs that led up to a rooftop. I smiled. That would work well.

From my vantage point, I could clearly see Joey dueling some guy with light blue hair. They duel had already started, and Joey was losing. I hoped he had gotten in over his head again.

"Do you think he's dueling a Rare Hunter?" Yugi asked.

I shook my head. "I don't sense anything, and he's not wearing a purple robe. There's nothing magical about him, so he's probably making up the ESP stuff to scare people."

"You're probably right about that." Yugi looked to the left and gasped. "Samia, look there!"

I followed his gaze to a lower rooftop where four blue-haired boys watched the duel with binoculars. They appeared to be speaking into microphones, giving away Joey's cards.

"He is cheating!" I exclaimed. "Should we tell Joey?"

"Let's see how Joey handles this," Yugi said. "Besides, I don't think he would appreciate it if we butted into his duel."

I frowned. Maybe he was right. I turned my attention to the duel. I could not hear what either player spoke, but I could watch the cards they played and the monsters that attacked. From the looks of it, Joey was able to trick his opponent, likely showing that his ESP was fake. _Great work, Joey!_

A whistle caught my attention. I glanced to the left just in time to see Mokuba run over to the four boys, anger radiating off of him.

"Violation!" he cried. The boys tried to run, but he caught them before they could get too far. I strained my ears to listen. "Your brother will never duel in this town again."

"We've learned our lesson," said one of the boys. "Please, you've gotta give him another chance."

"As the Battle City Tournament Commissioner, it's my sworn duty to bust cheaters." He crossed his arms. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cancel this duel."

"You just can't!"

"Show some mercy, commish," said a second boy. "Our brother isn't doing this for the dueling glory; he's doing it for us."

This caught Mokuba's attention. "Huh?"

"We're carnival folk," said the first brother, "or at least we used to be. Since we've left the show, he's kept the bullies off our backs."

Sympathy took over Mokuba's anger. "Your big brother protects you from bullies?"

"See, every day after school, the big kids would gang up on us."

"But even bullies respected good duelist like our brother," said the second boy. "And as long as he wins, they leave us alone. We're just trying to make sure he does."

Mokuba looked up and caught my eye. I froze in surprise at being found out, but he was just as shocked to see Yugi and I standing there. He gave me a questioning look, but I simply shrugged. This was something he had to decide for himself.

Mokuba looked back at the boys and shook his head. "It's still cheating! If I let you guys off the hook, what's to stop you from pulling this stunt again?"

"I'm begging," the second brother said. "Let my brother duel or we're toast after school."

"Just give him a chance to go legit," said the third brother. "Espa may be a bogus psychic, but he's a great duelist."

I felt Mokuba's resolve loosen. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and handed down his decision: "This is your last chance. If he cheats again, then it's no more Mr. Nice Guy."

The boys cheered in triumph while Mokuba looked on with a faint smile. He still felt a little uncertain, but I knew he felt good about what he had done. I gave him a small smile and nod in confirmation. I caught no whiff of deceit from these boys, so I doubted they would go back on their word.

I turned my attention back to Joey's duel. Now that his opponent was not cheating, it was a fair game. I relaxed as I watched the action unfold. Joey seemed to rely on a strategy based on chance and luck, though there was definitely an element of skill in it.

It turned out to be a close duel, but in the end, Joey emerged victorious. Espa Roba fell to his knees in defeat. I could sense his deflated spirit even from my position, but his emotions lightened once his brothers ran over to him and spoke what I assumed were encouraging words. I smiled at their group hug. Roba shook Joey's hand and gave him what he had won.

"I'm glad that ended well," I said, offering Yugi a smile. "I still don't understand everything about the game, but Joey's getting better, isn't he?"

Yugi nodded. "He's come a long way. Battle City should prove to be interesting." He paused. "Would you like to find some lunch? I cannot duel on an empty stomach."

His admission made me laugh. "Sure thing, Yugi." I felt the presence of both Yugi and Yami as we descended the stairs to reach the street below. I did not know what lay ahead for the three of us, but we could face it together. Even Marik could not tear me from them. I had my own

destiny.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for the comments, everyone. You may have noticed that I used some of Joey's speech from the original Japanese. I'm mostly following the dub, but I thought the Japanese made more sense in this instance. I'll add it in when I think it adds more to the story, such as Marik's motivations. Anyway, thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Several hours passed with little activity. Yugi and I searched for Rare Hunters to duel but came up empty. I had the feeling that they would appear on their own terms. At least I had a chance to unwind and process everything that had happened that morning. I was as confused as ever, but it helped to have a break.

We were strolling through the park where a circus had been set up when a harlequin jumped out from behind a tree. His creepy clownish costume made me wary.

"Who are you?" Yugi said in an even tone.

"Hello, Yugi," the man said. "We've been looking for you."

"Who's 'we?'"

"You'll find out if you walk that way." He pointed to his left. "53 steps forward and into that tent. My master is waiting for you inside. It's in your best interest to go." Then he cackled and jumped into the bushes.

I grabbed Yugi's arm. "Something about this doesn't feel right. It could be a trap."

"I know, but what choice to I have?"

I bit my lip and let him go. He was right. We had no leads so far. We needed to face whatever was in that tent. I took a deep breath and walked with Yugi.

I thought I heard someone calling our names, but I had to hurry to catch up with Yugi inside the tent. Inside the tent, a magic box was set up on the stage. The box opened to reveal the harlequin.

"Enter here, Yugi," he said with an evil cackle. "My master's waiting." He disappeared into the darkness of the box.

My uneasiness grew, and I shivered. "Be careful."

Yugi nodded. This time, I stayed very close to him as he walked forward. The box doors closed behind us, and we walked through to enter another room. My senses were overwhelmed by something, making me very disoriented. At least there was nothing downright evil. There was just… trickery being used.

Yugi stepped towards a computer in the middle of the room. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the screen displayed Yugi's Battle City duelist data. I stared at the Dark Magician, his rarest card. I jumped back in fright when the image suddenly changed to a magician wearing red and an evil smile.

The red Dark Magician materialized as a hologram in the room. This was an illusion, not magic, but it was still intimidating. "I've been waiting for you," it said. "You are not worthy of having me in your deck, so prepare to lose me forever! You're not the only duelist with my power in your deck, Yugi, and you're certainly not the best. It's time that you met the true master of the Dark Magician!"

Yugi remained calm and confident. "Alright, enough of these tricks," he said.

The magician faded, and an evil cackle filled the room. I shivered as a man emerged from the shadows. "Welcome, Yugi Muto," he said. There was a duel disk on his arm, and he held up the red Dark Magician card. The man was dressed as a magician himself and even wore a white and black striped mask. "I am the illusionist known as Arkana. And soon your favorite card will be dueling for me. Only a true master of illusion deserves to hold the Dark Magician. You will never understand its full potential."

Yugi glared at the man. "That is enough, Arkana!"

"Sorry, Yugi, I know it must be hard to think of your favorite card in another duelist's deck. Well, I challenge you to a duel! The winner will take the loser's Dark Magician."

"And I accept. You must know that, when a duelist builds his deck, he chooses his favorites from many different types of cards, but sometimes a card can choose a duelist. The two are connected, and the duelist can tap into the card's true power because each is bound by the heart of the cards. And the Dark Magician has chosen me." He held up his own Dark Magician card. "He has never let me down, and I place my complete trust in my Dark Magician."

"So, it's true. The great Yugi Muoto never backs down from a challenge. Very impressive. But this room's a little cramped, don't you think? Fortunately, I know of a special duel ring close by. Follow me." He swept his arms, motioning to a set of descending stairs.

I grasped Yugi's arm just as he was about to follow Arkana. "Something is up with this guy," I whispered. "He must be with the Rare Hunters. He's up to something."

I felt Yami stare back at me, his eyes clear and confident. "All the more reason to duel him. If this is too much for you, you may stay here and wait for me – or find our friends."

I shook my head. "I'm not leaving you." I would go crazy just thinking about what was happening to him. I would rather know the truth.

A faint smile formed on his lips, and he nodded. "Very well." Together, we made our way to the basement of the building.

"Hurry, it's almost curtain time," Arkana said while he walked. "I have special orders from my superiors to make this a real spectacle."

"What do you mean you have orders from your superiors? Just who is it that you're working for, Arkana?"

"Relax and enjoy the show. Forget who's backstage. Just worry about me." He laughed maniacally. Once we were in the basement, he approached a metal door with a red question mark painted on it. "Ta da! Beyond that door lies my dueling ring. I had it specially made for this match."

The bright light of the room struck me as I entered. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust so I could take in everything in the room. The dueling ring consisted of a rectangle carved in the ground and an indented circle in the middle. Both sides had spots for the duelists to stand.

"It's almost time to raise the curtain and start the show," Arkana said. "I hope you enjoy a good matinee, Yugi. You'll notice we're completely alone. Except for your friend of course." He eyed me, and I looked away. "There are no screaming fans and no cameras. Yes! It's the perfect setting for a private performance with so much on the line. We'll duel according to Battle City Tournament rules, but thanks to our location, not even Kaiba knows we're here." He and Yugi walked to the center of the circle to the raised platform to cut and shuffle their decks.

Once their decks were ready, the table sunk down and the floor moved backwards, sending the duelists to opposite sides of the field. Then shackles emerged from the circle and locked their legs into place! I gasped and ran to the edge of the dueling ring near Yami.

"Yugi!" I cried.

"Relax," said Arkana. "We're both locked in, which means neither of us can escape. See, there's an extra twist. We're not just playing for what's inside your deck; we're playing for what's inside your mind!" Something glowing and spinning with an evil energy emerged from the circle halfway between the players on either side.

"What's that?" Yami said in alarm.

Arkana let out a mad cackle. "It's a dark energy disk, Yugi, and I wouldn't get too close. One touch and your mind's banished to the shadow realm!"

My eyes grew wide in shock. _"He has to be working for Marik. Only someone with a Millennium Item can invoke the Shadow Realm."_

 ** _"I was thinking the same thing."_**

"Don't worry, Yugi," said Arkana, "I'll explain the rules to you before you lose. See the numbers written above the energy disks?"

"Those are life points," Yami said. "The closer the number gets to zero, the closer the disk gets to us."

"Precisely. And then you can say hello to the Shadow Realm! Alright, now look down between your feet. You'll see each of us has a key box."

Yami glanced down at the box. "A key box?"

"Yes, and inside is a key to unlock the shackles around your legs. Your box displays your opponent's lifepoints and will only open if you win the duel. Only then can you save yourself!"

"You can't do that!" I cried. My heart thudded in my chest as I watched helplessly from the sidelines. This guy was mad! I sensed no fear from him at all and it was not due to overwhelming confidence.

Arkana looked at me with a wicked grin on his face. "Do not think I have forgotten you, little girl. You will not interfere in our duel or leave this room. If you do, Yugi will automatically lose!"

I gasped. _No!_

"Leave Samia out of this!" Yami said in a harsh tone. "I will not let any harm home to her."

Arkana returned his gaze to his opponent. "But of course. After I win, my master request I bring her to him _unharmed_. Now let's duel!"

 _"At least he doesn't know we can communicate mentally."_

 ** _"Still, try to stay out of it as much as possible. It's not worth the risk."_**

 _"Alright…"_

I bit my lip as I watched the two of them activate their duel disks. I hated duels where the stakes were so high. At least I felt Yami's confidence and determination. He could defeat this guy!

Once again, I was swept up by the quick pace of the duel. Yami managed to summon his own Dark Magician first and cut Arkana's life points down to 1500. Arkana did show fear as the energy disk moved closer to him, but I sensed he still had something up his sleeve. He refused to stop the duel when Yami gave him the chance. I wondered what exactly was in this for Arkana. My intuition told me there was more than met the eye.

Finally, Arkana summoned his Dark Magician. He and Yami used magic and trap cards to amplify the power of their monsters, but the two Dark Magicians were evenly matched. They both attacked and were destroyed, but the duelists each used a Monster Reborn magic card to bring them back.

"Why don't you unlock us from these shackles and finish this duel with honor?" Yami suggested.

"With honor?" Arkana said incredulously. "And ruin all the fun? Never!"

"Have it your way. But answer this: Why did you lead me down here, Arkana? And why did you force me into a duel in which the loser's mind gets sent into the Shadow Realm?"

"I'm just following the orders of my master."

"Marik?" I said.

Arkana smirked. "Smart girl."

"Enough secrets, Arkana!" Yami said. "What's going on? There has to be more to it."

Arkana's demeanor changed. A swarm of emotions emanated from him, confusing me. "Look at my face." He pulled the mask off his face, and Yami and I gasped. His face was completely charred and burned! Despite the circumstances, I felt a rush of empathy for his pain.

Arkana explained that he used to be a world-renowned stage magician who was in love with his assistant, Catherine. One day, a magic trick went wrong and create an explosion, ruining his face and his career. He drove Catherine away from him because he thought she would spurn him for his looks. When he tried to get her back, it was too late.

"My life was over… until I met him!" Arkana proclaimed. "Marik!" He placed the mask back on his face. "He made me an offer: If I could eliminate Yugi Muoto for good, he'd help me win back Catherine with the help of his Millennium Rod."

"Working with Marik will only lead to more pain and suffering, Arkana," Yami said. "Marik cares about no one except himself. He will say and do anything to get what he wants."

 _Not true,_ said a tiny voice inside my head. He was rushing to judgment about Marik. I immediately felt guilty for the thoughts. Whose side was I on anyway?

"It's a cruel, cruel world, Yugi," Arkana said. "You'll find that out soon enough. There are very few things you can count on and even fewer people, but I am counting on Marik to bring my Catherine back into my arms." He raised his arm, and alight lit up in a room hidden behind a curtain. I gasped when I saw the shadow of a woman sitting on a chair. Why hadn't I sensed her? "There she is, waiting for me just like Marik promised. He's a man of honor, Yugi. You shouldn't be so quick to judge people." He looked back at the figure. "Give me a minute, darling. I have to destroy Yugi, then we can be together forever." He turned back to Yami. "So, you see, Yugi, it's nothing personal."

Staring at the shadow, I felt sick to my stomach. "That's not Catherine, Arkana!" I said. "I can sense emotions, and there's nothing human about whatever that thing is. But if you let Yugi go, I can help you win Catherine over. I am a girl, after all."

Arkana glared at me. "Shut your mouth! You know nothing! You're the one trying to trick me!"

I sighed. "No, I'm not." It hurt to feel his confidence and affection. Even if he won this duel, he would be sorely let down.

"You are a fool to trust in Marik," Yami said. "Instead, you should be placing your trust in yourself and in your cards, Arkana. You rely on tricks and illusions to win instead of believing in your deck. And that will be your downfall."

"They're just cards, Yugi," Arkana said, "and nothing more."

"That is your problem. They're not just cards. My heart is in my deck, and that's something you'll never understand."

"You talk about your faith in the cards, Yugi, but that will be your downfall. I knew you'd depend on your Dark Magician to bail you out, so I built my dueling deck with one purpose: To take your Dark Magician away from you!"

The duel resumed, and I felt more conflicted than before. It was times like this where feeling the emotions of two opposing sides really drained me. I stood close to Yami and Yugi so I could focus on them.

After several heated exchanges, both duelists lost their Dark Magicians. But soon enough, Arkana managed to summon a second Dark Magician. Yami protected himself by playing Dark Magician Girl. The monsters battled, and it was Arkana's monster that was destroyed since the two Dark Magicians in the graveyard powered her up. Then Yami attacked Arkana's life points directly, winning the duel.

Arkana stood there in shock and disbelief. "There's no way you could have defeated me, Yugi! I am the greatest magician the world has ever known. You're nothing, Yugi!""

Yami stared calmly at him. I felt no pleasure from either him or Yugi for their win, only pity. "What I am is very sorry for you. It looks like you led me all the way down here for the sole purpose of losing at your own demented game, Arkana. You rely on trickery to win instead of trusting and respecting the heart of the cards."

Arkana glanced down and gasped. "No, the dark energy disk! This can't be happening! I can't lose, or I'll never get back my sweet Catherine! Help me!" The energy disk moved closer to his legs, and my leapt in fear.

The box below Yami's legs then opened, revealing a key and locator card. Arkana suddenly became relaxed, and I eyed him suspiciously. He then pulled out a spare key from inside his sleeve! On instinct, I wanted to call out to Yami but then realized he would probably not be against saving his mind.

The burst of fear coming from Arkana felt like a slap to my stomach, and I stumbled back in surprise. I felt another presence in Arkana, speaking to him in words I could not hear. "Just give me another chance," the magician said out loud. "Spare me from the Shadow Realm! Please, Marik, please don't send me to the Shadow Realm!" His eyes widened as he looked at each of his hands. "Where'd it go? I just had the key, and now it's gone!"

"It's right there!" I called out. "In your right hand!" This must have been one of Marik's mind tricks.

"I'm losing my mind!" Arkana cried. After a loud gasp, he dropped the key, and it tumbled to the ground and out of reach.

Yami unlocked his shackles and glared at Arkana. Pounding on the door behind him caught his attention. I could barely make out the sound of our friend's voices. They had come looking for us!

Then Yugi took control of his own body. While Arkana screamed, he raced across the dueling ring and dove to reach the key and unlock Arkana's shackles. He pulled him away from the energy disk just before it reached him, and I let out a breath of relief when I saw that he was safe.

"Not even a cheat like you deserves to go to the Shadow Realm," Yugi said.

Arkana whimpered in fear and despair. "What have I done? Catherine!" Hope lit in his chest, and he spun around to run at the figure behind the curtain. "I'm coming!"

"No, stop!" I said. He was absolutely delirious, and I did not see how this could end well.

"Catherine!" Arkana tore the curtains, letting them fall on the figure, which he lovingly held. "My Catherine, please stay and let me make it all up to you. Please." The curtain fell from the figure, revealing the wooden body of a dummy. "My darling, what's going on?" The doll's head fell off and rolled across the floor. "I have been tricked!"

I walked closer and stopped beside Yugi. "I – I'm sorry. I tried to warn you."

"Or maybe Marik is just hiding the real Catherine to surprise me with later! Oh, Catherine, I need you back with me. We can finally get married and forget all this." Sadness overcame him, squeezing my heart.

Yugi and I exchanged a worried look. "Arkana, are you going to be alright?" Yugi said softly. He stepped closer. "Can I help?"

"Ha! Arkana is gone!" said a strange yet familiar voice.

The sudden change caused me to leap into the air in fright. "Marik!" Everything Yugi had done had been for nothing!

"That's right," said the voice. Arkana's body floated through the air and landed right in front of us. His forehead glowed with the Millennium symbol. "So, we meet again, little Yugi. I'm sure I need no introduction."

Yugi glared at him. "Show your face to me, Marik. Coward."

"I'll reveal myself to you when the time is right and no sooner – once I obtain what's mine, and you know exactly what I want: the unlimited power of the ancient pharaoh, the spirit that lives within your Puzzle."

"No way, Marik."

"You can't stop me. Remember when I took control of Bandit Keith? I almost succeeded in separating you from the Millennium Puzzle forever. Unfortunately, you were able to put it back together before you and your spirit friend Yami were destroyed."

"I almost died in that fire too!" I said.

"Your bond with the pharaoh prevented you from leaving and saving yourself, and that is why the bond must be broken."

I shook my head. "No, that's not true. I'm in control. This is my choice." It was my choice, right? Even if I did feel unexplainably pulled to Yami, I still chose to stay with him. There was no way Marik could be right…

"We'll see about that."

"Tell me why you want Yami's power!" Yugi demanded. He clenched his fists as he held a tight lid over his rage. "Answer me!"

"Because that power is rightfully mine, and once I have it, I will be unstoppable. The world will belong to me, and no one will stand in the way of my destiny, especially not you."

"Oh yeah? Just watch me, Marik."

"Listen, little Yugi, my family has slaved for centuries protecting the tomb of the pharaoh until his return. On the edge of the Necropolis in Egypt, the Tomb Keepers have lived for three thousand years, protecting the pharaoh's secrets from all attackers. They are not allowed any contact with the outside world, but must stay in the dark, guarding the Millennium Items with their lives. Their mission is to return the pharaoh's memory to his soul. I seek revenge for myself and my family. I should be the pharaoh!"

"Never! You won't get the power of the pharaoh, and I'll make sure of it. That power belongs to Yami, not you."

"Ha! Well, we'll just see about that, little Yugi. You're nothing but a vessel for the pharaoh's spirit. You could never comprehend his strength, nor could you stand in my way of getting it. We've given up too much to let someone else claim the throne. I was raised on the ancient scriptures, learning all there is to know about King Yami the Pharaoh and the Shadow Games. The key to his power is your Puzzle and the three Egyptian god cards. But I can't just take the Millennium Puzzle from you. According to the ancient scriptures, I have to defeat you in a duel first, and then I'll banish you to the Shadow Realm."

"But why would you do that?"

"To make sure you stay out of my way!"

"And what do you want to do with me?" I said, trying hard to keep my voice from trembling.

"I only want to help you, Samia." Hos tone changed to take on a slightly gentler tone. "You and I are a lot alike. We were both born to serve the pharaoh against our wills."

"I haven't done anything against my will!"

"Oh, haven't you? Tell me, when you first met Yami, were you torn between running to him and running from him?"

I hesitated. How could he have known? "Well, I, uh-"

"You wanted no part of this, and yet something beyond your control compelled you to stay by his side. The ancient empaths always held a special bond with the pharaoh – a bond more literal and permanent than any mere friendship. You are doomed to follow your ancestors' path like I am – unless you choose to take a stand against it."

My eyes grew wide in shock. Somehow, he had laid all my doubts out in front of me and made himself sound very reasonable. "But I – Yami and Yugi are my friends. I won't betray them."

"That is not what I am asking of you. I simply want to give you a real choice – something both our ancestors never wanted to give either of us. This is what your mother wanted for you."

"My… mother?" My heart hammered in my chest. My parents died in Egypt. They must have gone to visit the Ishtar family.

"Don't listen to him!" Yugi said. "He's trying to confuse you!"

I chose to ignore him. "Did my mother see you before… she…"

"That's right," Marik said in an almost gentle tone. "She came to me because she was worried about you. She asked me to look out for you, and that is what I plan to do."

My mind swam with possibilities. My mother had warned me against all of this just like Marik. It was entirely possible that he spoke the truth. Still, I highly doubted my parents would approve of his methods. There was just one more thing I needed to know. "How did… how did my parents die?" Even before he replied, I knew they had been murdered. That had to be it.

"Likely in the same way as my father," Marik said in a suddenly cold voice laced with anger and hatred, "by the hand of a servant of the pharaoh!"

"No!" Yugi cried. "That's not true! It can't be true! I don't know what game you're playing, Marik, but we will stop you."

"You cannot. Once I gain control of the Millennium Puzzle and obtain all three Egyptian god cards, I'll be king – and a much more worthy king than your counterpart, Yami. He doesn't even know how to harness the great powers that lie dormant within him. I, on the other hand, know full well how to take them from him, and my Millennium Rod will ensure that I get everything I need."

"Who has the cards?"

"I already possess two of the Egyptian god cards, and I know where to find the third one. Soon enough, my loyal team of Rare Hunters will bring the final card to me. It's only a matter of time, you see, that is until I take what is rightfully mine and banish you and the former pharaoh to the dreaded Shadow Realm where you will spend all of eternity while the rest of the world is kneeling before King Marik, the new pharaoh! You're powerless against me, little Yugi. My destiny can't be stopped. Don't you see it's only a matter of time? The three Egyptian god cards along with your Millennium Puzzle will belong to me. Then I will strip the pharaoh of his ancient powers and use them within myself."

Yugi stood silently for a full minute. I could sense the conflict within him, though it was not as strong as the struggle inside me. I knew he would soon come to a firm resolution against Marik. As for myself… I had a lot to consider.

"Marik," Yugi said with full confidence, "you'll never defeat me in a duel, so you'll never get your greedy hands on my puzzle!"

"I promise you, by the sands of Egypt, there pharaoh's power will be mine!" Marik proclaimed. "And so will Samia. Another of my mind slaves is already in Battle City, waiting to defeat you and take your Puzzle, and he holds an Egyptian god card."

Yugi gasped. "What's the name of this card?"

"You'll find out soon enough, little Yugi. 'Till then, beware the Quiet One."

"What do you mean, Marik? Who is the Quiet One?"

"We'll meet again, Yugi. And I will see you soon, Samia."

Then his presence left Arkana, and the magician would have collapsed on the floor if Yugi hadn't rushed forward to catch him.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Yugi shouted. "Next time, show me your face, you coward!"

Just then, the door behind us banged open, and Tristan rushed inside, followed by Tea, Mokuba, and Mr. Muoto. "Yugi!" Tristan cried. "You alright, buddy?"

"We're here!" Tea cried.

"Yugi!" said Mr. Muoto.

Yugi, still holding onto Arkana, turned around and smiled at them. "Hey, guys."

All I could muster was a weak smile. "Hi."

"You're okay!" Tea said in relief.

"What happened here?" Mr. Muoto asked.

"That's a long story," Yugi said, "and it made me famished. Why don't I explain over a nice hot dinner?"

Everyone agreed to this. Mokuba stayed with Arkana and radioed his brother for some help while the rest of us departed the creepy building. We soon found Joey and made plans for dinner.

I kept silent as I walked, but soon Yami interrupted my thoughts: **_"I hope you're not thinking too hard about what Marik said. He's just trying to use you."_**

 _"Maybe. It would be easier to discern his intentions if I could see him in person."_

 ** _"It does not sound like he will show up anytime soon, and if he does, I want you to stay away from him. Motives aside, his methods are clearly wrong."_**

 _"Yeah, that's true."_ Still, if I understood Marik's motives, maybe I could figure out how to stop him. I could not help but think about what Ishizu had told me. She said there was more than one way to defeat an enemy and that I had a special power that could be useful. Why couldn't she have been more specific?

I entered the restaurant after my friends. I pushed my thoughts away so I could focus on spending time with them. At least Duelist Kingdom would not resume until tomorrow. I needed a break.

* * *

That evening, I sat on the couch of my living room, straining my mind trying to figure everything out. There had to be something I could do here. I felt helpless watching Yugi and Yami duel today. Sure, I could offer them emotional support, but others made it sound like there was more to my powers like that.

Why hadn't my mother shared the secrets of the empath with me? Was Marik right that she rejected her duty and thought I should do the same? Did she travel to Egypt to seek his help?

My brain hurt just going through all the conflicting information. I leaned back on the couch and groaned.

"Had a rough day?"

I turned my head and saw Raiden looking down at me with kind eyes. "Yeah, kind of."

"Battle City has turned out to be more than you bargained for, huh?"

I frowned, remembering his recent suspicious behavior. How much did he know exactly? He was my brother, so I should be able to trust him. "Everything has gotten so complicated. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. I bet grandma would know…"

"I bet she would." He paused. "You know, I think you might be ready."

I blinked. "Ready for what?"

Raiden smiled and took the seat next to me. "Mom forbade grandma from revealing too much about our family history to you, so she told it all to me. She said that once you befriended the owner of the Millennium Puzzle, it would be safe to tell you. That's Yugi, right?"

My eyes grew wide. My brother knew about some of this all along? "Y-Yes. That's right." My heart pounded in anticipation. "What do you know? What can you tell me?"

Raiden chuckled. "Slow down. A lot of what grandma said didn't make much sense, and I'm not sure it would all be useful to you right now. She said to start with a box she gave me, but it's locked, and I don't have the key."

"Oh!" I fumbled in my pocket and brought out the key I had found in the puzzle box. "Is it this?"

Raiden looked at the key in surprise. "Maybe. Where did you find that? Never mind. I'll get the box."

As soon as he left, I stood up and paced nervously. Was I finally going to discover the secrets of my family's past? I hoped I would learn the information needed to find what to do!

"Here it is!" Raiden entered the room with a large, wooden. He laughed when I snatched it from him. "I'll leave you alone with it. Let me know if you have any questions."

"Thanks, Raiden!" I returned to my spot on the couch and placed the box on my lap. Then I fit my key into the keyhole on the top. My breathing shallow, I pushed the lid off the box to reveal what was inside.

A white envelope lay on top of a book titled _Secrets of Nonviolence._ I carefully picked up the envelope and ran my finger across the edge, breaking the seal. Inside I found a folded paper that must have been a letter, but it was the photograph that grabbed my attention.

I instantly recognized the little girl as myself nine years ago, and the person next to me was the boy from my dreams. A chill ran down my spine as I gazed at the blond kid with tan skin, an unnatural glow around him due to the flash of the camera. It was Marik. This was taken during my trip to Egypt.

Why had my grandmother kept this photo? Why let me have it now? And why keep it with a book about nonviolence? Had her intuition told her that Marik would choose the wrong path? Did that mean she thought I should help him?

I flipped the photograph over. Underneath the date was a sentence written in weird symbols that I assumed was Arabic. I squinted my eyes, but I knew there was no way I could understand the message.

I gently placed the picture back in the box and unfolded the letter. Sure enough, it was addressed to me from my grandma.

 _My Dearest Samia,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. I do not know when you will read it, but I do know it will be exactly when you need to read these words. There is so much for me to say, but my time is almost up. I am sorry I had to leave so soon._

 _You are a wonderful young girl, and I know you will turn into a wonderful young woman. You have extraordinary gifts that can change this world. I believe in you. Your mother believes in you too, but fear has stolen her heart. Do not take her actions the wrong way. She only wishes to protect you, but ignoring your destiny will only hurt you more._

 _Like your mother and like me, you are an empath: someone with powerful intuition and an ability to intensely feel the emotions of others. This may feel like a curse at times, but you are young and will learn how to harness your abilities. You are part of a long line of women who have served their families and their friends by utilizing this gift. In ancient times, we worked side by side with pharaohs!_

 _The time is coming when the last great pharaoh will return. It is my belief that you are the one who will meet him and bond with him. Perhaps your mother is so secretive because deep down she believes it too. Do not be afraid. Everything I have read says he is kind and good. I am sure you will make a wonderful team._

 _It will not be easy. I sense a difficult path for you, but there will never be an obstacle you cannot overcome if you trust in yourself. You will face moral dilemmas that will not appear to have a simple answer. Life is not black and white, my dear, and sometimes you must choose between several imperfect options when there is no right choice._

 _I have enclosed a book for you to aide you in your journey. Empaths have long followed the wisdom of nonviolence. It is a blessing that violence harms our sensitive souls, for that means we can see beyond violence and make choices that others do not know even exist. We can choose mercy, love, and forgiveness. We can travel into the pit of darkness to save a lost soul because of a tiny flicker of light._

 _You must decide what you are fighting for and what you believe. Do not think too hard about these questions. Trust your heart. Even if it steers you wrong, at least you will have acted on something you wholeheartedly believed in. Never give up on your friends or yourself._

 _I wish I could be there for you as you travel down this difficult road. Look to those around you for aid. Remain humble and open to suggestions. Know that everything that has been screwed in can be unscrewed again. And no matter what you do, do not forget who you are._

 _I wish you all the best on your journey. I know you will make all of us proud._

 _With love,_

 _Grandma_

A tear slipped down my cheek and plashed on the page. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. Grandma had known. She had not answered all my questions, but her words comforted my heart and calmed my soul. It was almost like she was there with me, guiding me.

I still did not know how I should proceed, but if grandma believed I would make the right choice, I had to trust myself too. I picked up the book and opened to the first page. It was time for some skimming. I had a big day tomorrow. Anything could happen.


	6. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The following morning, I packed supplies I thought I would need into my backpack. This was the second day of the tournament with no date given for the finals. I had a feeling this would be an overnight thing, so I made sure to pack an overnight bag. I also grabbed the book, photo, and letter I had discovered the previous night. I was set for anything.

Yugi picked me up once again, and we headed off to Domino Square together. We ran into Joey and Mai, and the three duelists reveled in their achievements. Finally, after wishing each other good luck, we all set off on our own.

Yugi still wanted to focus on dueling Rare Hunters, so we wandered the city looking for anything suspicious. After a little time passed, I decided to tell him about what my grandmother had left me. I only briefly mentioned the letter and totally left out the photograph – both appeared too personal to share at the moment.

"Nonviolence?" Yugi said as he examined the book. We sat next to each other on a park bench in an area filled with duelists. "What do you suppose that means? I can see how violence was a part of life in ancient Egypt, but all we're doing is dueling, which is not violent."

"Forcing someone to go to the Shadow Realm is violent, I guess," I said.

Yugi shook his head. "I always try to prevent that from happening if I can, and the other guy always starts it. It's self-defense."

I took the book back, a small frown on my face. "Well, maybe it's metaphorical. It may have more to do with our motivations and how we view our enemy." I wanted to ask him what he would do to Marik if given the chance, but I did not have the courage. I slipped the book back in my bag. "Anyway, don't worry about it too much. You and Yami should focus on what you do best. Let me figure out my role."

Yugi nodded. "Of course. How is that going, by the way? Are you making any progress with your powers?"

I leaned back on the bench and sighed. "Not really. It's all so confusing. Even the simple part like discerning emotions… I wish I could learn how to focus my abilities more so I don't become overwhelmed."

"Is there any way I can help?"

"Actually… if you don't mind, you and Yami could help me by switching places without telling me. I'll close my eyes and use my senses to figure out who is in control."

Yugi smiled. "We can definitely do that!"

I hesitated. "Shouldn't you be looking for a duel?"

"We have all day to duel, and this is important too. We may not know what part you will play in all of this, but it can only help for you to master your abilities."

A warm smile spread across my face. It was really great to have a friend like him. "Thank you, Yugi. Both of you."

"No problem. Let's get started."

We spent the next couple of hours in training. It was all quite rigorous and not as easy as I thought. We started simple in a quiet place with few distractions, but then we moved to busier sections of the city that clogged my senses. In the end, though, I felt like I definitely improved. We ended the session with lunch at an outdoor café.

"Thanks again for the help," I said before biting into my sandwich.

Yugi beamed at me. "You're welcome, Samia. You're my friend, after all."

"And I'm glad. I feel lucky to have met so many amazing people, especially after having to lose Bakura…"

Yugi's smile faded, and he looked at me in concern. "How are you dealing with that? It must be terrible to lose your best friend."

I stared at me sandwich and nodded. "It is. You and Yami are helping, though. Actually-" Nervousness came over me as I looked up at Yugi. I swallowed hard and gathered up all of my courage. "I have a gift for you two, if you want it."

A curious look crossed Yugi's face. "A gift?"

I nodded. "Right after Duelist Kingdom, a ran into these friendship necklaces. I was going to give one to Bakura, but…" I bit my lip. I could do this. "I think you and Yami should have it. I want to thank you both for being there for me."

"I would be honored," Yugi said.

 ** _"As would I,"_** said Yami.

I smiled slightly, encouraged by their responses, and opened my backpack. "It's kind of funny; they come from Egypt. Fitting, right? They look expensive, but an Egyptian lady at the flea market gave them to me for free. She said I was meant to have them. I don't sense anything evil about them, but there is almost something that draws me to them." I finally found the necklaces and handed one to Yugi while I held the other.

"I think I feel it too," Yugi said, examining the necklace. "It's pretty amazing you found these, Samia."

"The lady said they are sun and moon necklaces." The necklace I held, the moon necklace, was silver blue with a sapphire gem at the center, while Yugi's sun necklace was golden orange with an orange gem in the middle.

"Hey, what's this?" Yugi flipped the necklace over. An ordinary stone was lodged on the other side of the gem. "Does yours have a rock?"

I frowned and flipped over my necklace. There was no stone, but it seemed like one could be slipped inside. Suddenly, an idea occurred to me. I dug in my pocket and pulled out my grandmother's stone. It felt warm in my hand, and when I placed it into the necklace, it fit perfectly. I nearly jumped when both necklaces started to glow.

The necklaces shone brightly for a full minute. I felt incredible power and warmth come from them, but it was not bad. Finally, the magic settled down, and I exchanged a shocked glance with Yugi.

"That sure was interesting," Yugi said. "Yami thinks we should wear them. I also have a feeling they will come in handy later."

I nodded. "Good thinking." I unclasped the moon necklace and placed it around my neck. I could feel my grandmother's stone pressed against my chest, and it was comforting to have it to close. I smiled when I saw Yugi wearing the sun necklace. "It looks good. It suits you."

Embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his neck and gave me a slight smile. "Thank you. It's a thoughtful gift, Samia. Really."

 ** _"We will treasure it always."_**

* * *

Later, Yugi and I wandered around a parking, still on a search for duelists. Silence passed over us as we stopped by a waterway. I sensed that Yugi and Yami were having a conversation, so I stood a little way away and used the time to delve into my own thoughts.

Everything was peaceful now, but I knew that would soon change. I sensed something close by. It was very faint, but it was definitely there. I was unsure if it was important enough to alert Yugi. I really needed to get the hang of my powers. I returned to his side, but he already appeared tense as he looked around warily.

 ** _"You feel it too?"_** Yami said.

I nodded. "Let's be careful."

Suddenly, a strange looking mime with a duel disk leapt out in front of us, calling Yugi's name. I stepped back in revulsion; this was what I had been sensing. This was no ordinary mime. I glanced at Yugi and noticed his new necklace faintly glowed. He did not seem to notice.

"Are you the Quiet One?" I said.

"Prepare to duel," the man said to Yugi in a distorted voice, "and lose your Puzzle."

"Marik," I said under my breath.

"Yes," he said, "and soon you and the entire world will be calling me pharaoh. Meet my mind slave, Strings the Quiet One. And thanks to the power of my Millennium Rod, he shall defeat Yugi."

"Coward!" Yugi shouted.

"We'll meet soon enough, Yugi. Until then, why should I waste my time when I can duel you through my mind puppets? Battling with the power of my Millennium Rod is no different than you using your Puzzle to duel."

This angered Yami, who took over to speak to Marik. "That's not true. You force your servants to do your dirty work by taking control of their minds against their will! I duel with respect and honor."

"And I will do what is necessary to claim that Puzzle."

"To do that, you'll have to defeat me, Marik, and break the heart of the cards. And I can assure that won't happen."

"You call yourself a pharaoh? You don't even know how to use your powers, so destiny has chosen me to take the power of the pharaoh away from you and then destroy you."

"That ancient power is not yours to take, Marik." He took a battle stance and activated his duel disk. I walked backwards until I stood a good distance away. "Marik, make your move!"

Strings – err, Marik – activated his own duel disk. "Prepare to be destroyed by the force of my Egyptian god card!"

And so, the duel began.

Yami immediately gained the upper hand. However, Marik claimed he was only testing him for his strengths and weaknesses. It was still difficult for me to detect his emotions, but I could tell that he spoke the truth. Besides, it was clear that his ultimate plan was to summon his Egyptian god card.

Marik played Revival Jam in defense mode and then activated the magic card Jam Breeding Machine, which created a Slime Token monster each turn. When Yami tried to attack Revival Jam, it reformed on the field. It was indestructible! Next, Yami attempted to attack a Slime Token, but Marik played the continuous trap card Jam Defender, which redirected all attacks to Revival Jam.

I grit my teeth in frustration. How was Yami supposed to get past this type of defense? Marik then played Nightmare Steel Cage, and I flinched as a realistic looking barred cage surrounded Yami and his monster. Now he couldn't attack for two whole turns!

"It appears you're out of options, pharaoh," Marik said through Strings. "Thanks to my Nightmare Steel Cage, you can't attack, and in one more turn, you'll be finished, and your Millennium Puzzle will be mine!"

"Never!" Yami said fiercely. "As long as I believe in the heart of the cards, you won't succeed in claiming my Puzzle."

"Your misguided faith is completely pathetic when compared to the overwhelming power of my Egyptian god card. But you'll see that firsthand in just one more turn when my Breeding Machine produces the third Slime Token, giving me enough monsters to sacrifice! Then I'll summon my great beast, an ancient creature of unbeatable strength, to destroy you!"

Yami was worn but not defeated. I silently willed him to have the strength to continue. He drew a card and ended his turn. On Marik's turn, a third Slime Token was created, giving him enough monsters to summon his Egyptian god card, Slifer the Sky Dragon!

I gasped when dark clouds suddenly covered the sky, wielding lightning bolts that struck the ground. A shiver ran all the way down my spine. This felt all too real, even to me. Then it appeared: a ginormous red dragon with two mouths. Its power was enough to make me shake in fear. This was no ordinary card. Even Yami looked on in terror.

"You're finished, Yugi!" Marik exclaimed. "Prepare to feel his wrath! You're staring into the face of defeat, pharaoh. Slifer the Sky Dragon is one of the three most feared creatures in history: the Egyptian god monsters. They cannot be defeated."

"Every monster has a weakness, Marik," Yami said, "and I'll find yours."

"You're in no position to make threats. You're trapped in my Nightmare Steel Cage with no way to attack, and you're face to face with an Egyptian god monsters who's attack power is limitless. All you can do is watch it grow stronger."

"Stronger? But how?"

"Allow me to explain how Slifer works. The number of cards I hold in my hand determines what Slifer's attack power will be. Since I gold two cards, it has 2000 attack points."

"I'm afraid Slifer is still weaker than my monster."

"But this is just the beginning." Marik activated Pot of Greed, allowing him to draw two more cards, raising Slifer's attack power to 3000.

"But in Duel Monsters, there's a limit to how many cards a player can hold, so Slifer the Sky Dragon has a limit to its strength."

"Foolish pharaoh, don't you realize that every rule is made to be broken? I'm afraid any hopes you have of survival are completely in vain, for no one has ever defeated an Egyptian god card."

"Until now."

"You're a fool. Slifer will wipe you out with one single attack. Then I'll take your Puzzle and send you to a place of eternal darkness: The Shadow Realm! Now, prepare to lose."

"He'll win!" I shouted. I had remained silent up until now, but I felt compelled to say something.

The mime Strings fixed his vacant gaze on me. "Oh, he will lose, and I would think twice about sticking around to watch, Samia. Slifer is not simply a hologram, and its attack has very real effects on the opposing player."

Yami narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you saying, Marik? Is she in danger?"

"It's nothing that will kill her, if that's what you are asking. There is simply the possibility that too many attacks from Slifer could drain her strength." The puppet gazed at me again. "You will feel twice the pain: once from your connection to the pharaoh and once from Slifer itself. Leave now and spare yourself."

"As soon as she leaves, your Rare Hunters will be there to grab her!" Yami growled.

"Then you risk her health. But it is up to her."

I bit my lip as Yami cast me an anxious look. It was true that I feared for my safety after what Marik said, but there was no way I could leave Yami. Not now when he needed me. "I'm staying," I said. "I can take it."

"Very well," said Marik. "Do not say I didn't warn you. Now let us continue."

Yami set two cards facedown and played Kuriboh in defense mode. Once his turn ended, Nightmare Steel Cage disappeared. Marik, through Strings, drew a card, increasing Slifer's attack power to 4000.

"Yes, the moment has now arrived," Marik said. "Prepare to feel the wrath of an Egyptian god card. You are powerless against Slifer. And now, my Egyptian god monster, attack!"

I tensed as Slifer aimed his attack at Yami's Buster Blader. However, Yami activated his trap card, Lightforce Sword, which too one card from his opponent's hand for one turn. Bluster Blader was now the stronger monster. However, Revival Jam absorbed the attack, sparing Slifer. Then Marik played Card of Safe Return, allowing him to draw three cards every time Revival Jam returned to the field. Slifer now had 5000 attack points!

"And now, Slifer the Sky Dragon," said Marik, "destroy his Buster Blader and take a bite out of his life points!"

Feeling monsters destroy each other had never been pleasant, but Slifer's attack took it to a whole new level. It felt like I had been blown over by a powerful force. I clenched my teeth to prevent myself from crying out. Once it was over, I stood shaking on my legs, taking deep breaths. How had the wind been knocked out of me like that?

"Samia!" Yami cried.

"I – I'm fine," I said weakly. "Just focus on the deal."

"You still have time to run," Marik said. "It will only get worse from here."

I shook my head. "No."

Yet Yami seemed conflicted as he stared at me. "You should stay back. I do not want you to be harmed."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It can't kill me, so I'll be fine." I couldn't leave him.

Yami still appeared unsure, but he returned his attention to the duel. He sacrificed Kuriboh to summon Dark Magician Girl in defense mode. This activated Slifer's special ability: it's second mouth. Slifer's second mouth automatically attacked every time a new monster was summoned to the field, and the monsters that was attacked lost 2000 points from whatever mode it was in. Yami saved Dark Magician Girl by hiding her under Magical Hats, and he also played two cards face down under two hats.

Then Marik played Infinite Cards, allowing him to, as the name suggested, hold an infinite number of cards in his hand. Slifer attacked one of the Magical Hats, exposing Dark Magician Girl. However, two trap cards were hidden there as well. Spellbinding Circle weakened Slifer and Magical Circle sent Slifer's attack back at it, although Revival Jam absorbed the attack again.

"I would run, Samia," Marik said as he had Strings draw three more cards.

"No!" I cried.

"Samia!" Yami called out just as Slifer aimed and attacked his Dark Magician Girl.

I had barely recovered from the last attack, and with 9000 attack points, this next one was brutal. I could not stop the scream that left my mouth as I felt to my knees. I reminded myself that this was all in my head. This monster could not actually hurt me. But as I knelt there and took labored breaths, I knew it did not matter. It all felt the same to me.

"Samia," Yami said in a weary tone. Slifer's attack had taken a lot out of him as well, although it was obvious he could handle it a lot better than me. "You should leave. Go find Joey and wait for me."

I shook my head. "I – I can't. I want to help you." I did not know how much help I was, but still…

"You're not helping me. You're making it worse."

I stared at him in shock. "W-What?" A numb feeling spread through me. I was hurting him…

"You're making it hard for me to duel. I can't focus if I have to worry about you. Go where it is safe."

His tone was gentle, but they still felt like knives piercing my heart. It was not my intention to make things worse for him. Was I really in the way? "Fine."

"Good," said Marik. "Save yourself, Samia."

"I'll come find you," said Yami. "So, go!"

I turned and fled, blinking back tears. I know he did not mean to hurt me. He was just trying to look out for me. Still, I hated his words. I hated that I could not help him. I did not know where I was going, but I just kept running, hoping I would not come across any Rare Hunters who would take the opportunity to nab me.

Eventually, I slowed to a walk. I would never find Joey is I collapsed form exhaustion. I was still tired from Slifer's attacks, after all. I headed along the main street, glancing up to the cameras Kaiba had set up to showcase duels. If I was lucky, I could catch a glimpse of Joey and figure out his location.

I was in the square when a duel caught my eye. It was not Joey's but Yami's duel. I froze on the spot, unable to look away. I had to know how this duel ended even if I could not be there.

It was Yami's turn. He had no monsters and Slifer still loomed over him. After drawing, he played Monster Reborn, bringing back Buster Blader in attack mode. Then he attacked Slifer with the monster even though Slifer now had 14,000 attack points! My heart hammered in my chest. What was he thinking?

Revival Jam intercepted the attack, of course. However, Yami activated Brain Control and chose to take Revival Jam for a turn. The monster revived on Yami's side of the field, and Marik drew three more cards. Now that Yami had a new monster on the field, Slifer's second mouth activated and attacked Revival Jam. The monster revived again, Marik drew three cards, and Slifer attack. It was a never-ending loop!

No, it had an end. Eventually, Marik ran out of cards, and according to the rules of Duel Monsters, that meant Marik lost. "Yes!" I exclaimed, jumping up and down and earning some odd stares from people passing by. He did it! He won! Yami and Yugi beat an Egyptian god monster!

We would not have to be separated any longer. The danger had passed. I wondered if I should stay in the square. It was main area and Yugi should be able to find me.

"That's her!"

"Get her!"

I turned in surprise to see two scruffy-looking men in purple cloaks running right at me. Rare Hunters. _Crap!_ Marik had sent for me after all. I bolted out of there as fast as my legs would take me.

I cried out for help, but no one even looked my way. Everyone was too absorbed in the duels to notice I was in trouble. My chest soon started to ache, and I could feel my legs giving way. I could not run forever. I had to come up with some sort of plan.

The Domino Museum came into view. Perfect! I could hide in the museum. Surely someone would notice if they tried to grab me in there. I picked up speed and charged forward. I was so intent on my destination that I was completely caught off guard when I slammed right into someone.

"Watch it!" the guy snapped.

I looked up to see the scowling face of Bakura. No, this was the Spirit of the Millennium Ring. I did not have time to think. I moved around him and clutched him from behind. "They're after me!" I felt energy from the stone in my necklace, but I did not have time to consider what it might mean.

The Rare Hunters stopped a couple of meters away from the Spirit. "Hand over the girl!" one of them said.

"I don't think so," said Dark Bakura. I felt power from the Ring. The men screamed and then collapsed on the ground.

I let go of my rescuer and breathed a sigh of relief. The stone's intensity faded, but now I was distracted by the bodies of the men. "What did you do to them?" I knew I should not be complaining, but I could not help but feel slightly concerned.

"I knocked them out," Dark Bakura said. "And broke the connection they had with a Millennium Item."

"The Millennium Rod. Marik sent them after me."

He turned and looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Is this Marik the same person who controlled Bandit Keith the day he stole the Millennium Puzzle?"

I nodded. "That's the one. Thank you for helping me; I'll be on my way now." I tried to walk past him, but he held his arm out, stopping me. A wave of irritation rolled over me. I should have known this would not be easy.

"Why is he after you?" he said. "And why are you very… alone? Are you not accompanying Yugi in this tournament?"

I frowned. "Yugi was dueling Marik – actually, a puppet of Marik's – and the attack from Marik's Egyptian god card drained my energy, so I had to leave. But Yugi won, so I can go back to him now."

Dark Bakura raised his eyebrows. "Egyptian god card? Marik sounds very… interesting. Is he after your powers?"

I hesitated. I still did not understand Marik's motivations. All I had to go by was his word, and I did not know if I could believe him. "I don't _think_ so. And I don't think he wants to hurt me either." I wondered how much was safe to tell him, but then I realized the quickest way out of here would be to answer his questions as directly as possible. I could deal with the consequences later. "When I was seven, I spent a month in Egypt with Marik and his family because they're tomb keepers waiting for the pharaoh. Marik has rejected his duty, but for some reason he seems to still like me. I think he wants to get me over to his side. He said the bond I have with Yami is not real, and he wants to break it."

"Foolishness. The bond cannot be broken."

I shrugged. "Well, he wants to try. I almost wish I could talk to him so I could try to get _him_ on _my_ side. Yugi and Yami seem to have written him off as a hopeless cause, but I don't believe that. We were friends, after all…" I was saying too much, revealing something too deep. Yet I could not seem to stop myself. I wanted _someone_ to hear my doubts, even if that person didn't care.

"More foolishness. You should not get involved. Even if you could succeed, it would come at a high cost. You empaths are all the same. Worry about yourself for once."

There was a light growl in his tone that surprised me. I could not pinpoint any emotions, but I knew _something_ was there. I became immensely curious as to the source. "Empaths… You're talking about my ancestor, right? Did you know her?"

"Of course I did. She was always by the pharaoh's side."

"Did you like her?"

He took a minute to respond. He seemed to search me with his eyes while he worked to conceal his emotions from me. "Everyone liked her. She was the only decent person in the whole land. The only consistent one, at least. But she got way in over her head like you are about to. A pity, really."

His response only raised more questions in my mind. I could have taken it as a cold evaluation, but I felt like there was something else going on here. Somehow, though, I doubted they had been friends. I soon realized it would do no good to press the issue, for he would obviously not reveal more than he wanted to. I decided to take the conversation in a different direction. "Was she good at being an empath? Did she actually help people?"

"It depends on your subjective view of what is 'help.' Others appreciated her, and if she had not been good at her job, she would not have lasted long. She was not _useless_."

I nodded. "Okay. Thanks. So, this is hope for me after all…" If my ancestor had done some good, then I had to hold promise.

Bakura opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped when his Millennium Ring started to glow. He glanced down at it and then at me. "He's close. Let's go." He grabbed my arm and started walking in the direction the Ring pointed.

"Hey! Where are we going?"

"To visit your friend, Marik. He has something I would like to inquire about."

My eyes widened. _The Millennium Rod._ Who would win in that fight? I did not want to be there to find out. "Why do you need me?"

He looked back at me and seemed to coldly consider the question. "Leverage," he replied. "And you obviously can't stay out of danger on your own."

A shiver ran down my spine. "So, you're just going to hand me over to him?"

His lips twisted up into a sinister smile. "Not quite. Besides, you want to talk to him, do you not? I doubt your _pharaoh_ would let you once you get back to him."

I frowned. True enough. I had not decided if I wanted to see Marik or not, but I might as well now that I had gotten myself into this situation. "Okay, I'll go. You can let go of me." I et out a breath of relief when he released my arm.

Still, he stared at me. "Where did you get that necklace?"

I instinctively touched the moon necklace around my neck. "An Egyptian vendor gave it to me." Remembering the story, I decided to let my bitterness out. "There is another like I gave to Yugi. I was going to give it to Bakura, but _you_ ruined that."

He looked at me coldly, unapologetically. "It is his fault he was too weak to handle the truth. And what good did it do him? You're still here with me."

I looked away, knowing this was the truth. Why did my friend think he could stop the Spirit just by avoiding me? There was something magnetic between those involved in this whole mess. There seemed to be no way to stop it.

We walked in silence for a while. I racked my brain, trying to come up something to say to Marik. How could I get through to him? I should have read more of my new book. Yami would definitely not approve of this. What if I got everyone harmed?

I had not realized we had entered an alley until Bakura held his arm straight out, making me stop. I blinked and squinted into the darkness. "Huh?" I could feel power up ahead and something more familiar. And there was a strange noise…

Then I saw a motorcycle speeding down the alley, and I immediately tensed. Why weren't we running? Thankfully, the rider stopped before he hit us. He removed his helmet to reveal long, blond hair and my breath caught in my throat. I took in his tan skin, violet eyes, and Egyptian jewelry. His eyes locked into mine, and I knew.

"Marik."

* * *

 **A/N:** Don't you just love cliffhangers? Things are going to get really interesting from here. I hope you enjoy my slight deviation from the main story. Now we're going to delve more into who Samia is as a person and an empath. Credit for the sun and moon necklaces goes to Madame Rodoshe. They'll be important later on. Anyway, thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"It is great to see you again, Samia," Marik said swung his legs over his motorcycle strode toward us, "but who is your bodyguard?" His eyes fell on the exposed Millennium Ring hanging around Bakura's neck. "Found yourself another Millennium Item holder?"

I stared at him, my mind completely blank. It was even a struggle to read his emotions. He clearly had practice at concealing them, but unlike the Spirit of the Millennium Ring, I could tell there was much depth there. Complicating matters, the dark presence of the Millennium Rod muddied everything else I felt, even my own emotions.

"I see you are indeed acquainted," Dark Bakura said, "but if you wish to speak more with the girl, you have to go through me. And to get past me, you will need to give me your Millennium Item."

Finally, my thoughts snapped into place, and I glared at Bakura. "You're not in charge of me. I can talk to whomever I want to."

He gave me a pointed look. "Clearly, you need to work on your negotiation skills."

I ignored him and looked at Marik. "He's not my bodyguard. He's ancient spirit possessing my best friend, and I'm only with him because _you_ forced me to leave Yami."

Marik's lips curled into a smirk. "But if I am correct, _you_ came searching for _me_ , did you not?"

I glanced at Bakura. "It was not entirely my choice."

"We both had interest in meeting you," said Bakura, "and it appears you have interest in her. Before I hand her over to you, I need to understand your intentions. Are you after her as the empath?"

Marik looked at him with raised eyebrows. "How do you know about the empath?"

"I knew one – present company excluded."

"I see." Something stirred inside Marik, but I could not locate the emotion. "I presume your interest in her is to use her powers to further your own goals – whatever they may be. In that regard, we are different." He paused, and I thought I saw his eyes soften slightly as he looked at me. "However, I would like her to stay with me because she is the empath – but to protect her, not exploit her."

"Protect?" I echoed. "Protect me from what?" Ask anyone else, and they would all say I needed protection from Marik himself. I searched but found no deceit. Ishizu had said he did care about me, and my intuition told me that was true.

"From the pharaoh. And more precisely, your bond with him."

"You cannot break the bond," Bakura said. "Believe me, I've seen others try." There was a hint of frustration in his voice that it seemed even Marik picked up on.

"But you would welcome such a turn of events if I did find a way."

Bakura watched me out of the corner of his eye. "I could accomplish my goals either way. It is simply a shame that she will have to suffer only because she will do what it is in her nature to do."

Puzzled by his assessment, I glanced at him, but he looked away. On all accounts, he was as calm, cool, and composed as ever, and yet… The presence of two dark Millennium Items was messing with my mind. That had to be it.

"I agree," said Marik. "That is why I wish to help her. While it may not be possible to sever the bond completely, what if it could be transferred to someone else? Someone like me?"

"That would be an intriguing set of circumstances," Bakura said, "but, of course, there are several factors to consider. To start, why should she be with someone who is as emotionally attached as you? Emotions blind you to logic. I can think objectively and protect her better."

Marik narrowed his eyes at him. "I care about her. She would not be happy with you."

"Who cares if she's happy as long as she's safe?"

I looked back and forth between them, my mind buzzing. Bakura wanted to protect me? But he said he didn't care. He probably wanted to keep me away from Yami. At least that made sense. I still did not fully understand Marik's motives, and I had already lost control of the conversation

"Wh-What about what I want?" I said meekly. The two boys stared at me, making me feel self-conscious and nervous. I swallowed hard. "I – I really should get back to Yami. He's probably worried."

"I would not concern myself with him," Marik said. "He's a bit… preoccupied at the moment."

I stiffened. "What did you do?"

"I just gave him some work to slow him down. After we have a nice, _private_ discussion, I will take you to him if you so wish." His eyes fell on Bakura. "I doubt _he_ would give you such an option."

"Give me the Millennium Rod and she can do whatever she wants," Bakura said coolly.

Marik seemed almost annoyed at the question. "Back to that, are we? Tell me, what does a spirit like you want with the Millennium Items?"

"If you must know, I am a collector of sorts, and once I possess all seven Millennium Items, I'll control ancient powers strong enough to rule the entire world."

I looked from Bakura to Marik, feeling incredibly uneasy. How did I get in the middle of two guys who wanted to take over the world? My only consolation was that they could not both achieve their goals – but they could always deal with that after they eliminated the rest of the coemption. I shivered. I wished I was with Yami.

"Perhaps we can come to an understanding," Marik said. "You can have my Millennium Rod if you want, but before I hand it over to you, you have to do something for me in exchange. For I am somewhat of a collector myself, and once I possess what I desire, the Millennium Rod will mean absolutely nothing to me."

"You can't give it to him!" I blurted out in a response to a spike of fear.

Bakura eyed me with an expression that almost seemed curious. "After everything he has done, you would rather he retain control of it than someone like me who is not an immediate threat?"

I bit my lip. He did have a point. Was it my past friendship with Marik that made me want to trust him more? No, I had to have faith in myself. "Er… intuition?"

"I do not mean to leave you out of this, dear Samia," Marik said. "I am sure there is a way we can all get what we truly want."

"Why should I help you when I can get you to do what I want?" Bakura said. He suddenly reached out, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me against his body. My eyes widened in alarm when he held one arm around my waist and the other around my throat. "I could hurt her… and you… like I have done to others in the past."

Marik stared at him with narrowed eyes. For a moment, I thought I felt his surprise, but anything that was there was drowned out by my own fear and the dark aura of the Millennium Ring pressed into my back. I did not know who or what I was afraid of the most. I just wanted out of there.

"You won't hurt her," Marik said in a calculating tone. "Call it my own intuition. It is better for you to help me than to let harm come to her. Let her go and I will tell you what else is in it for you."

What seemed like an eternity of silence passed. Finally, Bakura released me, and I stumbled away from him, gasping for breath. "Speak before I change my mind," he said.

"First, will you let her come to me?"

"If she wishes it."

"Samia."

I turned from Bakura's cold indifference to Marik's gentle encouragement. The latter gave me an almost kind look, and I stepped towards him like a moth to the flame. He smiled as I approached. Something caused me to stop a meter from him and cast my gaze to the ground. If I was not careful, the warmth I felt from him in contrast to Bakura would tempt me to get closer than what was safe.

"Good," Marik said. His attention shifted to Bakura. "I happen to know the location of several Millennium Items."

"You want my help in exchange for information," Bakura said.

"We appear to have a common enemy, after all. I wish to destroy Yugi and the pharaoh. Together, it may be possible."

My heart leapt in my chest. "No!"

"You have discerned correctly," Bakura said. "Yugi is a nuisance. The best way to get defeat him will be to use his friends."

"Exactly. I plan to use the power of the Millennium Rod. However, I need them to let their guards down so I can get close enough to use it."

"If it's their trust you need, let me use my host. If you were to, say, assist him when he was injured, they would be eternally grateful to you." He pulled something out of his pocket, and even in the shadows of the alley I could see the glittering steel. A knife.

I gasped when the implication of his words hit me. "No, you can't!" I rushed over to him and clung to his arm. "Please don't. Haven't you hurt him enough? I won't stand by and watch. It-It would be too much."

The Spirit flinched at the contact while surprise leapt off him and almost made me let go. "That is your objection? We never asked you to approve. I could easily tie you to keep you from interfering."

I spared a quick glance at Marik. He watched us with mild curiosity but made no move to get in the middle. When Dark Bakura tried to pull his arm back, I held on tighter. He could have used force to free himself, but he did not try. "Even if I wasn't there, I would still know you've hurt him. Can't you pretend to be him like you did before?"

"So, you want me to endure the pain instead?" He did not sound anger or offended, just… interested.

My answer caught in my throat. I realized the answer was not a simple yes or no; I simply had to choose the best option available to me. "I don't want you to be hurt either because that would still cause me pain, but you can probably take it better than him and you should feel the consequences of your own actions, not him."

He stared at me for a long time without saying anything, and somehow, I did not falter under his intense gaze. I could tell he was thinking hard about something, but his emotions gave me no clue as to the content. "You will not interfere if I do this? You will not expose us to your friends?"

I hesitated. I had not meant to agree to go along with this plan, but what choice did I have? There was nothing I could do to stop them. "No. I won't do anything." I let go of his arm. He pulled it back to his side but did not step away from me.

"Then you have yourself a deal."

Relief caused me to smile. "Thank you." An unfamiliar emotion pricked my back, and I turned to give Marik a questioning look. "What?"

Marik's emotions returned to neutral. "Nothing." His gaze shifted to Bakura. "If we are finished here, I would like to speak to Samia in private."

Bakura looked from me to Marik. "Very well." He strode forward, stopping to talk with Marik in a low voice, and then made his way out of the alley.

"He will meet us at the target point," Marik explained. "We have some time on our hands, so we may linger here for awhile."

I nodded. Now that we were alone, I was unsure of what I should do or say. What exactly did he want with me? Something he said earlier flashed through my mind. "You said you'd take me back to Yami."

Marik frowned and twitched with annoyance. "I said I would give you the _option_. How can you make an informed choice if you do not know what I have to say?"

"Then speak. Tell me why you wanted to see me." While I did not trust him yet, at least he could not use the Millennium Rod on me.

He moved in closer to me, stopping just far enough away to give me my personal space. "Why did I want to see you? There are many reasons, but first and foremost, I _missed_ you, Samia. Is there not a small part of you that missed me as well?"

His sincerity caught me off guard. His earnest look made him seem almost… vulnerable. I did not doubt the truth of his words. How much they influenced his actions, however, was still up for debate. "Honestly… after my parents died, I blocked out everything to do with Egypt, including you. I did not even remember you until recently."

"I see." His mouth formed into a thin line, but I sensed no anger… just a hint of disappointment. "It is only natural, I suppose. You have a great life here that allowed you to move on after we met. I, on the other hand, had nothing to look forward to except your next visit. Your family were the only visitors ever allowed from the outside. You were my light within the darkness I was forced to live – and your memory kept me going. That is why I needed to see you again. Even if you choose to leave me, I am glad we had this chance to meet."

If he felt my shock at his confession, he did not indicate it. I must have stood there in stunned silence for a full minute. Marik watched me with a calm demeanor, his face a look of innocence and hope. Was this really the same man who had threatened my friends and sent his failed servants to the Shadow Realm? The same cold, calculating guy who persuaded the Spirit of the Millennium Ring to join forces with him? Logic dictated it was impossible. This had to be an act.

And yet…

 _This_ was the Marik who had come to me in my dreams, reaching out for help. This was the Marik I had known as a child. My memory may have faded, but my heart remembered him. Something deep inside of me longed to believe him… to reach out and comfort him. And with a jolt, I realized I had missed him too.

He watched me earnestly, waiting for a response. It was not fair. It would be so much simpler to hate him as the enemy. How could I ever explain this to Yami? My desire to please him warred against my desire to help someone who needed me. If my bond with Yami really did influence me in his direction, I needed to prove I could make my own decisions. I needed to choose the path I thought was right regardless of the consequences.

I recognized the danger in this course of action. I had to choose my words carefully. I took a deep breath and looked into Marik's eyes, hoping to show my resolve. "If you hate the darkness so much, why are you using tactics of the darkness instead of the light?"

His emotions hardened ever so slightly, making me fear he would put his defenses up once again. "The world is a cold place, Samia. In order to defeat the darkness, you must use their tactics. When I accomplish my goals, there will be peace, and then the light will be free to reign."

"B-But if you use the same tactics, doesn't that make you as bad as them? Isn't there another way?"

"I wish there was, Samia." I felt a hint of sadness, but he covered it up with determination. "I understand your concerns, and you do have an important role to play. The empath is meant to counteract the pharaoh – present an opposing viewpoint so a safe middle can be found. If war struck, the pharaoh had to respond with strength. However, the empath was there to advocate for mercy, lessening the cruelty that resulted. Your pharaoh is the same, is he not? He would not be happy to see you talking to me. We are not as different as he would like to think."

"I – I guess so…" I recognized some truth to his words. Both sides believed they were in the right and therefore were justified in destroying the opposition. Was there a way to make them see the truth? "But I think you're wrong about Yami. You've had a lot of terrible things happen to you, but none of it was his fault."

Marik's eyes darkened. "Your bond clouds your judgment. You do not even know who he is. Even if he is not personally responsible, it is his servants and his legacy that have the oppression of my clan. The only way to overcome the darkness is to defeat them."

"What about my friends? They're just defending themselves and each other."

"They are standing in my way, so they must be dealt with. It's nothing personal." He paused, and I felt a flicker of an emotion I could not name. "It is clear we have a disagreement as to my methods of choice. As I said, that is something that could benefit us both. If you are with me, your presence will moderate my actions. You ay see a way your friends can be spared that I cannot because I need to focus on my own goals. Fulfill your role as empath for _me_ and we may be able to reach an acceptable middle road. I doubt your pharaoh would give you such an offer."

I wondered if it was true. Even Yugi did not see too keen to discussing the possibility that Marik was anything other than a ruthless killer. Besides, I did not know how I could help Yami by remaining by his side, but if I was with Marik, I might have a chance to actually change his mind. It was foolish maybe, but it seemed like the better possibility.

I eyed him warily. I must retain my independence if I want this to work. "I'm supposed to stand by you and let you do horrible things to my friends?"

"You would not be responsible. There would be nothing you could do to stop me. I have plans to hide my identity; no one will know you are with me."

"You'll really listen to what I have to say?"

"Of course. I will present my case and you will present yours. Whoever loses will have been enlightened."

It was a dangerous game to be sure. I took in Marik's confident yet somehow gentle smile. I knew what I had to do. I took in a deep breath. "Alright. I'll stay with you… for now."

Marik's smile widened. "Thank you, Samia. You will not regret this."

I gave him a weak smile in return. _I hope not._

"Now, it is about time we join your friends, Bakura."

"He's not my friend."

Marik smirked. "Right." He strode over to his motorcycle, and I followed. Then he picked up two helmets and held none out to me.

I stared at the deep purple helmet. "We're riding?"

Marik appeared amused. "It's faster than walking."

I took hold of the helmet with the tip of my fingers as if it would jump at me. "Where did you learn how to ride?"

"I'm self-taught." He fastened the strap under his chin and then swung his leg over the bike. "Make sure to hold on tight."

I took a deep breath as I got on behind him. Tristan had a motorcycle, but I had always been too afraid to go for a ride. Now I had no choice. I wrapped my arms around Marik's waste and leaned into him, feeling his excitement and adrenaline.

The bike lurched forward, and I almost let out a scream. Colors whizzed past us, and I had to close my eyes to keep from getting dizzy. The sensation was like nothing I had felt before. I focused on Marik in order to get through it. For some reason, he enjoyed this experience. I tried to share in his pleasure, if only for a minute.

The ride ended almost as soon as it started. I felt shaken and had to rip my arms off Marik. He helped me off the motorcycle and accepted my helmet. I focused on steadying my heartbeat and returning my breathing to normal.

"What did you think?" Marik said with a grin.

I shook my head. "That was something else." I took in our surroundings. We were in another alley, but light filtered in from the open streets a few meters away.

Dark Bakura stood near the opening, his platinum hair visible in the darkness. "Took you long enough," he said with a small smirk. "They're approaching."

"Good," he said as we strode toward him. "Get ready."

The sight of the knife Bakura pulled out made me flinch. "I – I don't know how I'm going to react…"

"Just act naturally," Bakura said as he raised the knife.

"Let your emotions lead you," Marik said. "You'll be fine. Oh, and if your friends ask, my name is 'Namu.' We met on your trip to Egypt."

I blinked. Namu?

A shot of pain destroyed all thoughts. I turned away from the Spirit, hating the sight of blood. And he looked so much like my best friend. Marik shook my shoulder and implored me to help. I took a deep breath. I had to do this.

Despite every nerve feeling raw, I managed to get close enough to Bakura to let him out an arm around my shoulder while Marik did the same on his other side. At least the wound was bandaged. I knew I probably felt his pain more than he even did, but it still made me dizzy. I had to force myself to move forward, closer to my friends. I could spot them chatting near the entrance of an aquarium.

"Help!" I cried once they were in earshot. My pounding heart and the feeling of blood drowned out any verbal response. We stopped near Joey, Tea, and Mr. Muoto, and they all rushed over.

"Samia? What happened?" said Joey. "Where's Yugi?"

"Now's not the time," Tea said. "What happened to Bakura?"

"We just found him lying on the ground," Marik said in the same kind voice he had used earlier – except this time I could tell it was an act.

Tea looked on in worry. "He doesn't look so good."

"I tried to take care of his injuries. Samia and I are old friends who ran into each other earlier. She said you're all friends."

"That's right," Joey said. "We're buddies. But who do you think could of done this?"

I looked away when his eyes landed on me. "I have no idea…"

"Joey," the Spirit murmured in his best impression of the real Bakura.

Joey snapped his attention to the boy. "Bakura, what happened?"

"It happened so quickly. I can't remember."

"We're lucky we found you all," Marik said. "He needs to get to a hospital quickly."

Everyone agreed. Mr. Muoto called a taxi, and I was grateful it arrived quickly. Joey and Marik helped Bakura into the car. Mr. Muoto got in beside him, promising he would help our friend. I felt ten times lighter once they pulled away. Now I had room to breathe… and to think.

"Thanks a lot," Joey said to Marik. "How do you know Samia?"

"He means to say we haven't introduced ourselves," Tea said with a smile. "I'm Tea, and this is Joey."

"I'm Namu," Marik said. "I'm an old friend of Samia's from Egypt. We happened to run into each other."

Joey turned to me. "Is Yugi alright?"

His piercing gaze seemed to cut right through me. "He's fine." As far as I know. "We got separated because I couldn't take the intensity of his last duel, but I did see that he won." It was best to tell as much of the truth as I could so I would not be caught in a lie.

Joey nodded. "Good. If I see him first, I'll let him know you're safe."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks." It killed me to deceive him like this. He smiled at me so innocently, so cluelessly… He could not pick up on my emotions at all, which was good for me. _Please don't hate me when this is all over…_

"Is that a duel disk on your arm?" Joey said, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Yes," Marik said, "but I'm afraid I'm not much of a duelist. You're not challenging me to a duel, are you, Joey?"

"I don't have to duel 'cause I already qualify for the finals, Namu." Joey smiled proudly and pat his chest with his fist.

"Oh, congratulations," I said.

"Wow, impressive," said Marik. "You must be good. Maybe you could give me some tips one day."

His act of innocence made me feel sick. It was worse than when the Spirit of the Ring acted like Bakura. Even Marik's emotions had changed, and it was the hint of realism that shook me.

Joey puffed out his chest. "Well, I'll see if I can fit you in."

Marik chuckled while I rolled my eyes. Thankfully, Joey and Tea took the opportunity to part from us after wishing us luck. I looked up at Marik. Was that it?

"Patience," he said in a low voice.

I shuddered when I sensed the power of the Millennium Rod. Was he communicating with his Rare Hunters? I was in no position to ask him to stop. The second seemed like hours as I stood rooted in place, my fear gradually growing.

"It is time," Marik said at last. He took a step forward but then stopped and looked at me with hesitation in his eyes. "You-" His expression hardened into resolve. "Stay here. I'll tell them you had to use the restroom."

My surprise temporarily pushed back my fear. "Huh? Why?"

"Just trust me." Then he sprinted after Tea and Joey.

Trust him? That was madness! Then I saw them. Rare Hunters slowly closing in on my friends. They paid no attention to me as they passed. My heart pounded in my chest, but there was nothing I could do.

A fight ensued. The men attacked Marik, which I did not doubt was part of his plan. Joey went on the offensive but was soon subdued. Even from this safe distance, I could still feel an echo of the pain from my friends. I was almost glad once they were captured. At least I would not have to endure this helplessness any longer.

Marik returned to my side, appearing disheveled but not too badly beaten. Despite my desire to help him, I could not bear to look at him. I felt humiliated and angry although I should have seen this coming. It was not that I thought he was manipulating me. It was that I could sense that there was some truth to his kindness – at least towards me.

As we walked back to the motorcycle, I wondered if I had made the right choice. It felt like I was aiding the enemy and betraying my friends. And yet, something about Marik drew me in. I hated this. I hated that he cared for me and showed me hope but then acted so cruelly.

Was this what Ishizu meant about the suffering of the empath? Was this to be my fate?

* * *

 **A/N:** That was fun. How many of you saw that coming? Things will get interesting now! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate your comments.


	8. Chapter 22

" _Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life_"

– "How to Save a Life" by The Fray

Chapter 22

I followed Marik onto the ship, scrunching my nose at the smell of fish and sea salt. I had not considered how he had arrived in Domino City, but now it all made sense. I bristled as several Rare Hunters passed us along the hallway in the interior of the ship, although one look from Marik and they kept their distance.

We stopped in front of a door on the left. Marik raised his hand to knock but held his fist midair as he turned to me. "I apologize; I have some matters to take care of. Please find a way to entertain yourself for a while. I am leaving you with my most trusted servant, so you have no reason to worry."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. My trepidation had faded, but the idea of spending time alone with a Rare Hunter other than Marik did not sound too appealing. At least I would have a break from being near a Millennium Item.

Marik knocked on the door. "Odion."

The door swung open. I sensed something different from the tall Egyptian man towering over us. He was not like the other Rare Hunters I had come across. He wore the purple robe, but the hood laid against his neck, exposing his shaved head and tattoos on the left side of his face. He had an intimidating expression, and yet there was softness in his emotions. I also had the sense I had seen him in the past.

"This is Samia," Marik said. "She is a guest of ours. Make sure she is taken care of while I am gone."

"As you wish, Master Marik," Odion said I a deep voice.

Marik appeared satisfied at this. "I will return soon, Samia."

I wondered what type of business he had to do, and then I realized I probably did not want to know. Odion stepped aside, and I walked into the room. It appeared to be a simple bedroom with a bed pushed to the side and a work desk near a small window.

Odion pulled out the chair from the desk and motioned to it. "Have a seat."

I did not move. It would feel too awkward to sit when he was already so tall. And I was too busy trying to figure him out. My intuition tried to tell me something important about him, but I could not quite grasp it.

"Are you hungry?"

I shook my head.

"Tell me if there is anything you need. I am at your service."

This triggered my memory, and it suddenly all came together. "I remember you. You're Marik's brother."

Surprise flashed in Odion's eyes for a second, and then it was replaced by something else… weariness? "Adopted brother. And you are correct. We met when you visited Egypt nine years ago."

I instantly relaxed. I had liked Odion. He was kind and considerate, and he was obviously devoted to his adopted family. I wondered how he had gotten mixed up with the Rare Hunters. Even now, I sensed little darkness from him. His emotions were much more complicated than the others'.

"May I ask you something, Miss Samia?" Odion also appeared to have let his guard down a little, although his question came with some hesitancy.

"Of course," I said.

"Master Marik insists you are not a prisoner. Why are you here?"

I wanted to ask him the same thing. Instead, I carefully considered my response. "He's after my friends, but he won't hurt me. If he's letting me get this close…" I took a deep breath. "I think I can help him. Not just so he will leave my friends alone. For his sake as well." I bit my lip and looked away. I hoped that was an acceptable answer.

Odion closed his eyes and dipped his head. "I am glad. You are as I remember." His tough exterior softened as he gazed at me. "Master Marik has not forgotten, but the darkness inside him is growing. I fear it will soon take over."

His concern was genuine, which only raised more questions in my mind. "Then why don't you stop him? Why are you with the Rare Hunters? Ishizu-" I faltered. Was it my place to get in the middle of a family issue? No, I had to risk it. "Ishizu wants to help him, but she's stood against him."

Fortunately, Odion did not appear offended, but a mixture of sadness and weariness did wash over him. "Ishizu has made her choice, and I have made mine. I do not fault her for doing what she thinks is best. I did not think it wise for Master Marik to be left on his own. The darkness would have grown faster, and it might already be too late."

"But if he's getting worse anyway. What am I supposed to do?" I clenched my fists. It was good to have an ally, but it was still too much pressure.

Odion's mouth lifted in a tiny, kind smile. "You are the empath… and his friend. You can stand with him _and_ against him when the time calls for it. For as long as he allows you to take this role, it is a good sign. You can do what no one else can. Unfortunately, I cannot give you clear directions. You must trust in yourself."

I relaxed my hands and sighed. "That's what everyone keeps saying." I needed to stop doubting myself. My grandma believed in me, and now I had the book she gave me. There had to be answers in there. Something I could use to get through this. I took a deep breath. "I do not know what I can do, but I promise you, Odion, I will do everything I can to save Marik."

Odion nodded. "Thank you, Miss Samia. I will assist you in any way I can."

"Thanks." I paused. I did not know how long Marik would be gone or if I would have a chance to speak with Odion again. I had to act now. "Is there anything else you can tell me about him? Something to help me? Anything to watch out for?"

His whole demeanor suddenly changed, and I knew I had struck something. He turned away from me, his shoulder stiff. "It may be best to find out on your own…"

My heart thumped. He was trying to hide his emotions, but I could feel enough of them. "Odion, please. Whatever you have to say, it won't change my mind. "I just want to be prepared. I need to know what I'm up against." _And what my friends are up against._

Odion turned to look at me, his eyes swarming with emotion. I gently sent him feelings of compassion to help put him at ease. "The darkness I spoke of… it was not simply a figure of speech. It has taken a physical form."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about? How is that possible?"

He took a shallow breath. "The pain he endured to become the next tomb keeper was too much for him to bear, and to protect his mind, his subconscious created an alternative personality."

"Does this have something to do with the Millennium Rod? Is it like the Spirits of the Puzzle and Ring?"

Odion shook his head. "The Rod may have given him the power to create an alter ego, but it came entirely from Marik. The Spirits you speak of are real people from the past with human feelings and emotions. What lives inside Marik knows nothing of love or even revenge… only darkness. His only purpose is to destroy."

Cold dread seeped into my skin. I did not have to consider whether to believe him; his emotions spoke loudly enough for me. I swallowed and found a lump in my throat. It took a minute to regain my voice. "This… side of him… it's not in control, is it?"

"No. He has been pushed down into his subconscious where he can influence but not control his actions. He is less powerful when I am near, and I sense the same is true of you. We need to do everything we can to make sure he does not take over." A grave expression overcame his face as his eyes bore into mine. "Master Marik himself would never want to hurt you, but if his other side gained control… he would make it a priority to kill you… and me."

A shiver ran down my spine. Despite everything I had been through the past several months, I had never seriously feared for my own life. The stakes never seemed to be that high. Even the Shadow Realm was not necessarily forever. This was different. This could change everything. "And he would be a far more dangerous enemy for Yami." I spoke slowly and carefully, not trusting myself to not slip into panic mode.

"That is correct. The whole world would be in far more danger." He paused, and his eyes searched my face. "I understand if you wish to warn your friends. It would be better for them to defeat Marik as he is now."

"But then we might lose our chance to save him." I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. Yami and Yugi were dedicated to doing anything it took to stop Marik, but concern for him would never enter the picture. I could not let them hurt him. Not when there was still a chance he could be helped. There had to be another way.

My fear gave way to determination. This was no time to be weighed down by my own emotions. I was in control. I opened my eyes and looked right at Odion. "I'm not going to leave even to warn them. I'll stay here with Marik. I'll fight for him."

For a second, I thought I saw a smile on Odion's face. "You are indeed, remarkable, Miss Samia. I am forever in your debt."

"You don't have to go that far." Something else occurred to me then. "Hey, does Marik know about this? About the other part of him?"

Odion's expression turned serious again. "No. I thought it best if he did not know."

I wondered about that, but it was not my place to question him. He obviously knew the situation better than me. "Then I won't tell him either."

"Thank you." He suddenly stood up straight and appeared alert. "He is coming. It has been nice talking to you."

I gave him a small smile. "You as well."

The door swung open, and Marik stepped into the room. He had control over his emotions again, but his face softened slightly when he glanced at me. "I am sorry for keeping you, Samia. I expect everything went well?"

I did my best to conceal my own emotions. I could not have him guess what we had been talking about. "It was fine. We were just catching up." It was true enough. I focused on those positive emotions.

"It was nice to see her again," Odion said. "She is good company."

"She is," Marik said, fixing his gaze on the taller man. "You did well, Odion." He turned to me. "It is time for us to take our leave."

"Goodbye," I said in a low voice as I followed Marik out of the room.

"Goodbye, Miss Samia," Odion said just as quietly.

Marik led me to the door at the far end of the hallway. This room must have been his. It was bigger than the last and more ornately decorated. There was even a small sofa pushed to the side and a table with two chairs near the center.

"We have a little time on our hands," Marik said. "Tell me, Samia, do you play Duel Monsters?"

The question surprised me. I searched him but could not find his motives. "I – I've played a few times. My friends are teaching me. I'm not very good."

"That is quite alright. We will play a casual game for fun." He pulled out a deck of cards from his pants pocket. Then he looked back at me with a small smirk. "Don't worry; this is my basic deck without any Egyptian god cards."

I nodded. I hardly thought this was the time to play games, but this was not one of the things I needed to question him on. Besides, it might teach me something about him, and we could talk while we played. I sat across from him at the table and took out my own deck. My gaze fell on the op, exposed card. Wingweaver. My heart clenched.

"That is a powerful card," Marik noted. "Where did you obtain it?"

My throat tightened. "B-Bakura gave it to me. My friend, not the Spirit. It was my first card." He seemed curious, so I held the card out for him to take while I focused on taking deep breaths. The memories of our breakup slashed new wounds on my heart. Would that card always remind me of him? I could not take it out. It was a part of me now, like he was a part of me.

"This is not a card you find often, but there is something familiar about it…"

My head snapped up. "Have you seen it outside the game?"

Marik narrowed his eyes in thought. "She looks like a carving I have seen… a carving often associated with the empath."

I widened my eyes. "What does that mean?"

He shook his head and handed the card back to me. "It means you were meant to have this card. Bakura gave it to you? Perhaps he was unconsciously led by powers beyond his understanding… by the Millennium Ring. There is a reason you became friends."

My heart squeezed. Hadn't the Spirit said something similar once? I did not want to believe it then, but… "It doesn't matter. He has been a good friend to me. That is all I care about."

Marik gazed at me with a mixture of swirling emotions. "You are lucky. Even if you are apart now, you have memories to treasure."

I nodded. That was true. I would not go back and change anything if I could. I shuffled and cut my deck while my opponent did the same. The stone on my neck heated up and pressed down on my skin; I pushed the necklace to the side to ease the irritation.

Marik's eyes followed my movements. "That necklace… I recognize it as well. Isn't there another?"

I dropped my hand. "Y-Yes. I gave it to Yugi."

Marik frowned. He gave off hints of irritation, anger, and… jealousy? "What a shame. I will have to retrieve it from him."

I stiffened. What exactly did he mean by that?

Marik's emotions relaxed, and he gave me a small smile. "Let's not worry about that for now. We have a game to play."

I smiled slightly in return. Right, a game. A very deadly game that we both could not win. And yet, if the right side won, there was a chance we would both be better off for it.

We talked while we played. I told him about how I met Bakura and then Yugi, and he shared stories of his troubled youth. I could not tell what he thought about my adventures, but I felt compassion for what he had to go through. I hoped that by opening up to each other like this, we had taken the first step to finding a workable solution.

Marik won the game, of course. I was surprised with how well I kept up with him, though I would have lost early on if I did not have Wingweaver to bail me out. Somehow, I did manage to relax a little. The game was fun when there was nothing serious on the line.

"You have good instincts," Marik said as he gathered his cards into one pile. "You may become a formidable opponent one day."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks." _But I think I'll leave the dueling to Yugi and Joey._ He grew still, and I felt the power of the Millennium Rod. How had I forgotten its presence? My uneasiness did not fade even when he relaxed. "So… now what?"

Marik's eyes flickered to my face. It was hard to distinguish his emotions. "We still have some time. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

There was a lot I wanted to talk about, but I did not know where to start. I needed to consult my book… A thought occurred to me. "There is one thing." I slipped my backpack off my back and unzipped the top. "Last night I found a box of things my grandma left me before she died. Look at this." I gently pickup the photo of us as kids and held it out to him.

Marik examined the photo, and I felt a flicker of a positive, light emotion. "This is us. I remember that day." A faint smile formed on his lips. "We were so happy."

I could not help but feel warmed by his response. Odion had said this was a good thing, so I would believe him. There was hope here. "Flip it over. Can you translate what's written there?"

He appeared surprised. "Your mother did not teach you Arabic?"

I shook my head. "I wanted to learn, but she banned anything to do with Egypt. It was hard enough for my grandma to get her to approve of that trip… She was trying to protect me."

"I see." He flipped over the picture. "Roughly translated, this says 'do not harm when you can help.'"

"Oh. Thanks." Why had my grandma thought it so important to write on the photo?

"Sounds like it could be the motto of empaths." He paused. "If you are interested, Samia, I could teach you some Arabic."

"Really?" The offer made me feel a little lighter.

Marik smiled. "Of course. I know your language; it is only fair that you know mine. It is your heritage too, after all."

"How do you know Japanese so well?" Not everyone in Battle City came from Japan, but like in Duelist Kingdom, the common second language of English was spoken to ensure proper communication. However, Marik – and his siblings, actually – spoke Japanese so well that it had not occurred to me it was not normal until he brought it up.

"You have your grandmother to thank for that. After she left Egypt, my grandfather insisted he learn the language of her new country and passed it down to the following generations. They thought Japan would become important. It appears they were right."

"My grandma was pretty smart." Why did she have to leave so soon? She would have known what to do. My eyes fell to my backpack. At least she had left me some of her wisdom. I lifted the book out of the bag. "She left this for me as well." I flipped the book so he could read the title.

Marik's eyebrows rose. "Nonviolence? Sounds like the creed of an empath."

I nodded. "It says we shouldn't return violence for violence; it will only breed more violence. Darkness can only be driven out by light." My heart drummed loudly in my ears. His emotions were hard to decipher. Did he consider me naïve?

Marik leaned his elbows against the table and threaded his fingers together. "It's a nice sentiment but a little unrealistic. I do not fault your idealism, Samia. It is much needed in this world. If people like you were in the majority, I would wholeheartedly embrace nonviolence. Unfortunately, you are very much alone. Surely you can have a great influence, but it is not enough."

His eyes caught mine in a steely gaze. I could sense something behind the wall that protected his emotions. There was so much he was not revealing, and I did not know how to bring it out. "But controlling and destroying people? There has to be another way."

His expression hardened, and some anger slipped through the cracks. "There is no other way to obtain revenge for me and my family. The pharaoh should know the pain he put us through."

"R-Revenge won't solve anything. You've already refused to help him. Can't you just leave and live your own life in peace?"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." His emotions darkened further. "I can never live in peace until I know no one will come after me. You do not understand the forces I am dealing with."

"But maybe-"

"Peace is only possible after justice has been established, and justice comes from correcting the situation. The pharaoh needs to know my pain."

I had hit a dead end. I stared at the cover of my book as if that would give me the answers I needed. Perhaps I was approaching this the wrong way. I took a deep breath and met Marik's gaze. "I want to know your pain. Share it with _me_."

His eyes flickered in surprise for only a second. "No. With your abilities, it would overwhelm you."

"Then just let me see some of it. Tell me more about it." Odion had said something about a terrible ceremony. I needed to ask about that without making it clear I already knew. "Is there a moment in particular you can tell me about? Maybe I can help. Maybe if the wounds are healed-"

"You can't change the past, Samia." Regret laced his voice, and frustration simmered under his determination. He balled his hands into fists and laid them on the table. "You can't fix what happened. It's too late."

His words clenched my heart and refused to let go. Yet, instead of despair, I felt driven to keep on going. I could not give up. I took in a shaky breath. "I still want to know." I reached out my hand and placed it on top of one of his fists. "Please."

Marik did not speak at first, and he refused to look away from me. He still held his emotions under control, though I felt them bubbling under the surface. Finally, he spoke in a slow, deliberate tone: "As you well know, pain comes in many forms, and it is often the psychological and emotional tortures that are the hardest to bear. However, the worst _physical_ pain I had to endure came during my initiation ritual as tombkeeper."

I withdrew my hand. "Wh-What?" That could not be right. I knew ancient Egyptian culture could be gruesome, but surely Yami would never approve of anything too brutal.

Marik let out a bitter laugh. "You wanted to know the truth. Did you not believe me when I said we were oppressed?"

"N-No. But there most be a reason."

Marik smiled ruefully. "If you truly want to understand, let me show you." He pushed himself into a standing position and moved away from the table. Then he pulled his shirt over his head and flung it to the floor. Before I could react, he turned his back to me.

Time stood still, and I swore my heart stopped right along with it. My legs wobbled as I stood. Though it repelled me, I needed a closer view. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics had been carved into Marik's back like a canvas… like a stone. I could never imagine receiving a simple tattoo, let alone something like this… and at such a young age. I could imagine the pain he must have endured… and the results were a constant memory of that pain.

"D-Does it hurt?" I lifted my shaking hand.

Marik bowed his head. "The physical pain has subsided." I caught his bitterness and resentment… but also exhaustion.

"I'm sorry." I gently placed my hand over one of the engravings on the right side of his back. He flinched and took in a sharp breath but did not move away. "Why? What is the purpose of this?" I no longer wanted to know so I could defend the pharaoh. I needed to know how someone could do this to him.

"The pharaoh's story," Marik murmured. "Each successive tombkeeper carries it… so we will never forget. _This_ is merely a symbol of our enslavement. A reminder that we will never be free as long as the pharaoh remains."

His anger was still the strongest emotion, but now I could sense it cracking. There was something else underneath. My mother had taught me that people often used anger as a shield to hide how they were really feeling. Anger seems controllable and often is more tolerable than sadness and despair. The only time my mother had seemed supportive of my powers was when she noted that we had a special ability to see past the anger. If the root emotion was taken care of, the anger would disappear.

I latched onto Marik's underlying sorrow even as it threatened to take over me. This was no time to lose control. "You were forced to do this? You didn't have a choice?"

"No. There was never a choice."

"But if you have a whole clan, couldn't they have found a volunteer?"

"My father believed only a blood descendant of the original tombkeeper was worthy. No one objected."

That sealed it for me. He had a legitimate concern that needed to be addressed. His blame was misdirected, and I objected to his methods and purpose, but that did not matter right now. I too knew what it was like to feel forced into something. The pressure may have been only psychological, but it had still affected me for many years. Only recently have I felt free to be myself and to choose my own path. Marik deserved that choice too.

"That's awful. I'm so sorry." I did not care that the tremble in my voice might give away my own emotions; he could probably feel them from my touch. "I wish-" The words caught in my throat. What could I say that would be enough? I needed to show him instead. I slipped my arms around his waist and pressed my face against his back.

He shuddered. "Samia…" He was on the verge of losing control. I felt an array of conflicting emotions, and yet I understood his central message.

"You're not alone anymore," I whispered. I did not question the idea my intuition gave me next. "How – how do you say, 'I love you' in Arabic?"

His emotions stirred, and his breath hitched. He took hold of my hands and carefully pulled them away from his body. My mind swirled with questions as I watched him slip on his shirt. Had I done something wrong? I could detect no change in his demeanor, although it felt like he had regained control of his emotions… or they were about to break loose.

"Marik?"

I hesitated to reach out to him, but then he came to me. He stepped incredibly close and placed his hands on my arms while he gazed down at me. "Bahebek…" The tenderness in his voice almost suggested he was not simply answering my question. When was the last time he had said that to someone? When had anyone said it to him? "But… you would say 'bahebak'…"

My breath caught in my throat at the intensity of his words and his gaze. Then I recognized the emotion he had successfully disguised until now: loneliness. And then everything clicked. I could not make sense of it all consciously in my mind, by my intuition understood… and my heart knew the truth.

This man… this boy… was full of contradictions. He had been forced into a life had had not chosen and reacted in the only way he knew how to preserve his sanity. But the truth was slipping through the cracks. I had been able to touch him deeply the first time we met not because of our shared fates but because of our shared loneliness. Despite everything he may have done, there was still a part of him that clung to the light.

"Bahebak, Marik," I said, my eyes filling with tears. "Bahebak."

Marik pulled me up against his chest, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around him. We stayed like that for a long time. We spoke no words, but we were not silent. His emotions spoke more than he could ever say.

The sudden surge of magical energy shattered the moment. Marik pulled back form me. He kept his arms around me, but I knew his mind was suddenly miles away. His emotions were retreating, and I had no idea how to stop it.

"I have to go," he whispered. I did not miss the regret and reluctance in his voice.

I shook my head. "Please stay. Don't leave me."

But I could tell he was already gone. Still, there was hesitation in his eyes. "I will be back. You will be safe here." He drew me close once more, and my heart squeezed in pain.

My hands balled into fists as they clutched his shirt. I wished I could do something to make him stay. We understood how much we cared about each other, but it was not enough. I could not yet break through to him.

"I promise I will make a better future for us," Marik whispered before he placed a kiss on the top of my head. He disentangled himself from me and stepped aware. I shivered from the sudden cold. His eyes caught mine as he paused at the door. "Goodbye, Samia… Ameli…"

He spoke the Arabic word with the same gentleness as the other earlier. Before I could ask him what it meant, he was gone.

I sunk to my knees as the reality of the situation hit me. I had glimpsed an extremely important part of his heart… and because of that, I could not give up on him… no matter the consequences.

I brought my hands to my face and sobbed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading everyone. I'm sorry it took so long to get this up. I've been busy preparing for a move across the across. I hope you enjoyed the slower pace this chapter. The action will return this. This was necessary to understand Samia's motivations.

As an FYI, when Samia and Marik talk about love, they do not mean it in a romantic sense. At least not consciously. Any subtext is up for you to decipher. ;)


	9. Chapter 23

**A/N:** I'm back, everyone! I'm sorry I was away for so long. I had some major life transitions, including moving 1,500 miles across the country, that took up all of my time and energy. I don't know how often I'll be able to update now, but I'll try to make it steady and consistent even if it's a little slow. Thank you for your patience, everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 23

While I waited alone in Marik's room, I took the opportunity to study my book. I skimmed through the pages, looking for pertinent information. Ideally, I would read the whole thing, but I did not have that kind of time.

After only a few minutes, the words on the pages blurred, and I had to put the book down. I leaned my head against the back of my chair and closed my eyes. I could not stop thinking about what I had learned from Marik. I wished I had been there for him. Why had my grandmother moved to Japan? Just because she knew everyone would eventually gather here? But if Marik had found his way here, couldn't I as well? Maybe if I had grown up in Egypt, my parents wouldn't have died.

But I wouldn't have met Bakura when I was young. Sure, I would have had Marik instead, but… The Spirit of the Millennium Ring insisted we had been drawn together for a reason. How long had he been conscious inside the Ring while my friend wore it? Had he been watching me? Watching us?

I had too many questions and too few answers. My mother had taught me that seeking the answers would only bring pain, but I did not care anymore. This time, people I cared about were on the line, so I had to be strong. I just wish I did not feel so alone. If only I could tell Yami and Yugi what I was doing… I wished I could find a way to make them understand.

My eyes napped open when I heard someone enter. I could feel Marik's presence even before I stood to face him. He had grown cold again, his anger simmering at the surface covering all other emotions. His expression softened slightly when he looked at me but only just. I dared not ask where he had been.

"Samia, it is time for me to put your friends to use," he said in a calculated tone. "You may stay here if you do not wish to be involved, or you may join me – but be warned you will only hear my side of the conversation."

 _He's going to use the Millennium Rod to speak,_ I thought. "By 'friends,' do you mean Tea and Joey? Are you going to control their minds?"

Marik's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Very good. We shall see if they will cause little Yugi to be a little more accommodating." He paused. "What will it be? You were there at the start of my plan, so I thought it fitting that you be there to see the fruits of your efforts."

I bit my lip. What exactly could he have planned? Whatever it was, it would not be good. "If I go with you, will you allow me to try to stop you?"

Marik studied my face. "We will be alone in a room, and there will be nothing you can do to stop me. However, as I said before, you may attempt to persuade me to leniency – though it won't do much good."

I frowned. It might not do me much good, but my presence couldn't be good for him either. I could influence him into feeling guilty if only because he would regret the pain he would cause me. So why did I get the feeling he wanted me to go with him?

 _He's lonely._ Of course, that was it. Would I be able to convince him the only cure was to rid himself of all thoughts of revenge? I had to try.

I took a deep breath. "I'll go with you, Marik."

Marik's face did not change, though I felt a slight upbeat in his emotions. "Very well. Follow me."

I slipped on my backpack and exited the room after him. He led me to the deck of the ship and stopped when we reached the front. I took a moment to take in our surroundings, something I had been too anxious to do when I first boarded the ship. We were in an enclosed dock at the pier with no one else around. No doubt Rare Hunters made sure we were not discovered.

Marik leaned against the railing and stared out at nothing. "They will be here soon," he said. "It is almost time to begin."

"What are you going to do?" I asked tepidly.

"I have taken control of Joey and Tea's minds, and I will use them against Yugi to get what I want."

I bit my lip and looked away. "Oh." _I chose this,_ I reminded myself. _I must remain strong._

"They have arrived." Marik closed his eyes and remained silent for a minute. His expression had hardened when he opened them, and he gripped the Millennium Rod tightly. " _Welcome._ " I could tell he used magic to speak through someone – Joey or Tea.

There was a moment of silence. Was Yugi responding?

" _Not exactly,_ " Marik said through the Rod. " _Joey is not present. He's gone away._ " Another pause. " _That's correct. And if you want your friends back, you will listen to me._ "

I strained to feel Yugi or Yami but came up with nothing. They were too far away. It was for the best, really. It would be suspicious if they caught notice of me.

" _It's pointless. Now, you listen, Yugi. We are playing by my regulations. I'll release your pathetic friends as soon as I get what I want. Of course, since I want your Puzzle and Egyptian god card, there's only one way to do this: You and I are going to duel. Refuse and your friends are mine forever!_ "

I could imagine Yugi protesting. No way he would accept this.

" _You'll never set him free unless you follow me, Yugi._ "

Marik shifted, and I sensed a small change in his magic. " _Yugi, you better do exactly as I say. This may come as an unpleasant surprise, but like your friend Joey, Tea too is under my control. Surprised? Looks like I've turned your closest friends into your greatest enemies. You're at my mercy._ "

"He'll figure a way out of this," I muttered under my breath. "Somehow."

Marik glanced at me out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. " _Welcome to my very special dueling arena. Look around you. Should you accept, you'll be battling your best friend in a duel none like you've ever experienced for the highest stakes imaginable._ "

I closed my eyes and attempted to visualize the scene he painted.

" _Let's begin. Why don't you both try these on for size? Notice that you're both securely fastened to a chain that leads to a large anchor hanging above you. 30 seconds after a player's lifepoints reach zero, the anchor will drop to the bottom of the sea!_ "

My heart thudded. _No!_

The magic shifted. " _That's right. Now look down. That small yellow box is your lifepoint counter, but it also contains the key to your survival. When one player's lifepoints reach zero, the other player's box opens, revealing a key that unlocks his shackles. Remember, you'll have 30 seconds to free yourself before the anchor drops._ "

"This is madness," I muttered. How did Marik think of this stuff?

" _You'll have to fish Joey out of the sea first. And don't think I left little Tea out of all the fun, but I'll get to her role shortly. And just in case you had any plans of refusing to duel, think again! If there's no winner within 60 minutes, the anchor will automatically drop, sending both of you plummeting into the sea!_ "

My eyes flew open. "No!" I turned to Marik and flung my arms around him. "Please stop."

I felt Marik's surprise, but he got over any hesitation he had a moment later. " _But you will lose, Yugi. And before that anchor drops, I'll take your Millennium Puzzle and your Egyptian god card._ "

I closed my eyes again and rested my forehead against his chest. "No."

" _Ha! And Seto Kaiba, don't think you're merely a spectator in all this. As soon as I'm through with little Yugi and his friends, I'm setting my sights on your Egyptian god card, Obelisk the Tormentor._ "

There was a minute of silence. Kaiba was probably protesting.

" _Sorry, but the duel will continue as planned. And speaking of plans, here's the final piece of my plot. I've taken extra measures to make sure no one interferes, so don't try. If you attempt to stop this duel, the crate you see hanging over my head will fall. You wouldn't put poor Tea in danger, would you?_ "

My heart plummeted. There was no way out. What was Yugi going to do? I focused on sharing my emotions with Marik. If I couldn't change how he felt, I could at least make sure he knew I did not agree with him.

" _Now that everything seems to be in place and everyone is familiar with all the rules, why don't we start the show? Oh, wait, I almost forgot: I wouldn't want little Tea to miss all this._ "

I felt a jolt of magic, and I presumed he had released Tea's mind. I almost wished he hadn't. This could not be a pleasant scene for Tea to witness.

Marik continued as if nothing had happened: _"Now then, there's one last matter. Yugi, your Egyptian god card is off limits, so if you were planning on using it against me, you're out of luck. Now remove the card from your deck so I can claim it when I win. Now place Slyfer on the ground, Yugi. So, whoever wins will retrieve that card while the loser goes swimming._ "

Marik looked down at me with a smirk. "Soon I'll possess Slyfer the Sky Dragon and Yugi's Puzzle. My plan won't fail."

I shook my head stubbornly. "He'll find a way around this."

He raised an eyebrow. "How? My plan is flawless."

I did not respond, for I did not know the answer myself. I just knew there _had_ to be a way. There was always a way.

Marik looked away and activated his magic again. " _I think it's finally time to begin this duel. Are you ready to duel, Yugi?_ " A pause. " _Prepare to lose, fool. Yugi, you draw the first card. It's the beginning of the end for you._ "

A long moment passed. All I could hear was the thudding of my heart against my chest.

" _What's the problem, Yugi? Are you too frightened to play a card?_ "

I wished I could see what was going on. Then again, that would just make it harder to handle. And it was not like I could focus on influencing Marik and Yugi's emotions at the same time.

" _Very well. Yugi, say goodbye to your Gazelle, for I play Raigeki, which destroys him! And now, I summon Alligator Sword. Attack his lifepoints directly! Surrender yet or do you want more? I hope you're not going easy on me because we're old friends, Yugi. You'll be sorry._ "

I flinched. This was not good.

" _So, you think that's enough to protect your lifepoints, Yugi? So naïve. I play my Hinotama magic card. Now watch closely as its power blasts away your lifepoints!_ "

Even though I could not directly feel Yugi's pain, my imagination was enough to cause me to shudder – and Marik's perverted glee was not helping. I let go of him and took a step back to gain a breather.

Marik merely glanced at me in interest. "Looks like Yugi's starting to panic already after getting a taste of my powerful deck. Enhanced by cards gathered by my Rare Hunters, Joey's deck is virtually unbeatable. Yugi will be out of my way shortly, leaving behind his Puzzle and his Egyptian god card."

I opened my mouth to reply, but someone beat me to it: "Pardon me, Master Marik, but I've just learned Joey's sister has arrived in Battle City."

Marik and I turned around to see Odion standing there, his emotions unreadable.

"Did you say his sister?" said Marik.

"Yes, Master."

Marik appeared thoughtful. "This sister of his may prove to be an excellent pawn in my game, Odion. Bring her to me immediately."

"Yes."

A gasp escaped my lips. Not Joey's sister! Hadn't she been through enough already? "Please leave Serenity out of this," I said. "She's not in your way. She has nothing to do with this."

I held my breath as Marik studied my face. I sensed some hesitancy from him, and for a minute I thought he might give in.

"Master?" Odion said.

Marik cut his eyes to the Rare Hunter. "Bring her to me. By entering Battle City, she has become my concern." He looked back at me while continuing to address Odion. "But do not let harm befall her just yet. I will decide what to do with her later."

"Of course," Odion said. He turned on his heels and departed.

I let out my breath all at once. I had not managed to stop him, but I felt I had done something. I had more time now at least.

Marik stared at me for a minute longer. His emotions swirled, and I could not get a grip on them. Then his expression hardened, and he looked away and pulled on the power of the Millennium Rod. " _Let's go, Yugi. Time is of the essence, and stalling's not an option. You know that as well as I do, so make a move now!_ "

Silence fell. I mentally urged Yugi to think of a plan, even knowing he could not hear me. Marik's sudden surprise jolted me out of my thoughts.

" _Are you playing some sort of a joke? Kuriboh is weak! It only has 300 attack points. Why would you play it in attack mode? Unless you're trying to lose this duel on purpose to save your friend. All right, very well then. If losing is your goal, allow me to help you._ "

I hid my amusement. I knew better than to underestimate Kuriboh, and a few seconds later, Marik figured out it was a trap. Unfortunately for him, it was too late. I turned away so he could not see me smile.

Marik grew angry, but he quickly recovered. " _Alright, Yugi, I've had enough of your childish games. Now it's time for me to regain control of this duel. Ready? Because this worked so well last time, I'll use another one. Hinotama, attack his lifepoints!_ "

I shuddered as I imagined Yugi's pain. Why was I not there to help him? I carefully examined Marik, smirking in glee. How in the world was I supposed to influence _him_? What exactly did Ishizu think I could do?

" _I've attacked your lifepoints yet again, Yugi. You're finished. As soon as I wipe out the rest, that anchor will drop, taking you with it right into the sea._ " A minute of silence passed. " _We'll just see about that, Yugi. Joey belongs to me now thanks to my Millennium Rod. So, destroy your former best friend, my mind puppet and strip him of all that he has so that I may rule the world as pharaoh._ "

I did not bother to hide my weariness as I laid my eyes on Marik. "Why?" I whispered, not sure if he even heard me.

" _Then make your move, not that it matters. Neither one of your monsters is powerful enough to defeat my Alligator Sword._ "

"He's stalling," Marik suddenly muttered in his normal voice.

"Or devising a plan," I said quietly.

Marik eyed me coolly. "It does not matter. The deck I gave Joey is unstoppable. Besides, even if he could beat me, Yugi does not have the heart to destroy his friend."

I took in a deep breath as I let his words sink in. "You are so close to understanding, but…" I shook my head. "I suppose I used to think the same way. But now I see…" My confidence grew, and my fear slowly slipped away. "The harder something is, the more danger it has… that's when there's the most potential for good. If you pull too hard on their friendship, it may just be used against you."

Marik's eyes brightened, though he did not seem angry. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll show you," I said, moving closer to him. "Friendship isn't something you can understand unless you experience it for yourself."

Marik turned away when I reached out to touch him, and I withdrew my hand. There had been a flash of fear, but then… sorrow? "That won't help now," he murmured.

I wanted to say something, anything to help, but then he suddenly straightened. "What? No! I want the pharaoh, not this little runt. I want to defeat the ancient ruler. That spineless coward! He sends little Yugi to protect himself. You cheat! I want to destroy the pharaoh!"

I instantly recognized what had happened: Yugi switched places with Yami. That was a pretty bold move for both, though I thought I understood their reasoning. "You're wrong," I said to Marik.

He swung around to face me, "Excuse me?"

"Yami's no coward. In fact, this was probably Yugi's idea."

Marik narrowed his eyes. "Either way, it doesn't matter. I can win this duel with ease now that I'm up against little Yugi instead of the pharaoh. And it doesn't really matter which one of them I defeat; I'll still win the Millennium Puzzle and Slifer the Sky Dragon."

I shook my head. "You still don't get it. This isn't about skill. Yugi thinks this is the best way to get through to Joey." Yeah, that had to be it.

Marik scoffed. "There is no way to break the control of my Millennium Rod."

"We'll see about that." I may have doubted as well if I had not seen if before myself. Friendship had blocked the power of Pegasus' Millennium Eye, and the same principle could work here too. I felt slightly better as I returned to listening and straining to understand the duel.

After a minute, Marik appeared gleeful about something. " _Look at you. Ha! You must be desperate to play a card like that. But if you insist, I'd be glad to take a card from your hand, little Yugi. Not that I need any help. Show me your pitiful cards. Now, which card shall I pick?_ "

An exchange card? What could Yugi be up to? I nearly jumped when Marik suddenly gasped. He gripped the railing tightly and appeared to be struggling with something.

" _Your friend is long gone, so I'll be taking your Red-Eyes Black Dragon._ "

"Joey?" I whispered, staring at Marik in shock. Had Yugi actually figured it out?

"No," Marik growled. " _I'm_ in control."

"It doesn't feel that way to me." I resisted the urge to reach out to him in his struggle. Joey had to win this.

Finally, Marik relaxex and regained full access to his magic. " _No. I told you, Joey has gone away, and I'm here to defeat you with my arsenal of rare magic cards, so I don't need your Red-Eyes._ "

My own emotions lightened as I read between the lines. Yugi was onto something now.

" _I said Joey is gone, and you're finished!_ "

"Their friendship is going to win," I said, earning a glare from Marik. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

He did not respond, but that was fine. I had the impression Yugi was really giving it to him. After a minute, the duel continued. " _Go ahead and make your pathetic move, little Yugi. There's not a card in your hand that can stop me from wiping out the rest of your lifepoints._ "

Something tugged at Marik's magic, and he let out a growl of frustration: "This can't be happening," he said out loud. "I'm losing control of my mind slave! My power over him is slipping away. I can't let that little brat Yugi stop the power of my Millennium Rod."

A faint smile tugged at my lips. "I told you." I would have been happier for Yugi if I did not have to feel Marik's frustration, but that was the cost of my powers.

"Sir," a deep voice said from behind us. Odion.

Marik turned to face him. "Hmm?"

"I'm afraid Joey Wheeler's sister got away."

I let out a breath of relief. "Good."

Marik narrowed his eyes. "Then why are you standing here, you fool? Go see to it that she is captured. Now!"

Odion's eyes locked with mine right before he turned to leave. He still retained great control over his emotions, but I still understood what they hinted at. My smile faded as I watched his retreating form. Why did he put himself through this?

A sudden outburst from Marik snapped me out of my thoughts: "Get up and fight back, mind slave!"

"Having trouble?" I said. "You could just give it up, you know."

Marik shook his head. " _Sorry, Yugi. Your trick didn't work. I'm still in control. And now it's time. I'll wipe out what's left of your lifepoints, my little friend, and take what belongs to me._ "

 _Don't give up, Yugi,_ I silently prayed. _You're so close!_ As for me, I was close to accomplishing nothing at all. I hated feeling useless.

" _All right, it's time for me to finish you off now and take the power I deserve. So, say goodbye as I attack your lifepoints again with yet another Hinotama magic card. Fire Shower Attack!_ "

I cringed as I imagined the strike on Yugi. I could tell this duel was coming to an end. "Marik, please…" I whispered.

Marik watched me out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. Instead, he focused on the duel. " _Too late. I'm about to send you into the sea when I summon Rocket Warrior. And monster struck by Rocket Warrior loses 500 attack points for the duration of the turn. And then I'll play Attrition._ "

"Marik!" I leapt forward and clung to him in a desperate attempt to change his mind. He flinched in surprise, but his emotions remained the same.

" _I said you're too late, you fool. Rocket Warrior, attack now! In its invincible mode, it will weaken your Red-Eyes while remaining unharmed. And now my Attrition card activates. It takes the attack points of my Rocket Warrior and subtracts them from your Red-Eyes, making it even weaker. How sad._ "

I shuddered at Marik's glee. A second later, however, he faltered as his magic slipped.

"What's going on?" he said in shock. "I feel my control weakening again."

"What did Yugi do?" I asked. I hated not being able to see the duel.

"He gave his Millennium Puzzle to Wheeler," he growled. "But that's not going to help. I'll have him throw it into the sea!"

I gasped. "No!" _Yami!_

" _Say goodbye to your Puzzle, little Yugi,_ " he said as Joey. He paused. " _The only thing I'm fighting is you. Farewell._ "

I flinched as I felt Marik struggle. His eyes blazed in fury. "Throw it now!"

Despite the torrent of emotions, I held onto him tighter. "Just let this go!"

But he all but ignored me as he spoke out loud. "I'm losing my grip again! Alright, keep the Puzzle if you want. Puzzle or no Puzzle, you'll destroy Yugi for me."

My grip loosened. Yugi was winning. He could do this.

" _Your friend's mind belongs to me, hear me? Prepare for defeat! Yugi, get on with the duel. The sooner you make your move, the sooner I can eliminate your lifepoints. And you better act quickly because you only have 14 minutes before that anchor pulls you and your best friend into the ocean's depths. You'll be out of my way once and for all!_ "

"He'll figure a way out of this," I said softly. "He always does."

Marik eyed me. "Not without the Pharaoh's help."

I imply smiled. "He doesn't need Yami for this one."

Marik shook his head. "This duel is making me thirsty. Let's go inside."

I let go of him and followed him inside the ship. My mind remained on the duel while he had someone fetch him water.

" _How foolish!_ " he suddenly exclaimed. He glanced over at me. "He could have attacked us. Instead he left himself wide open for us to attack him! So, don't disappoint me now."

 _He must have some sort of plan._ But I said nothing.

" _It's time to end this! Alright, little Yugi, time to wipeout your Red-Eyes and your lifepoints. I play Panther Warrior. You're done! But first, before I strike, I'll transform Rocket Warrior into its invincible mode._ "

Marik smirked. "It all ends here. His Red-Eyes Black Dragon is barely alive. That pathetic creature won't stand a chance against Panther Warrior's ferocious onslaught. And when that Red-Eyes goes, so does Yugi. That little runt has only 1000 lifepoints. This duel's over. It's the moment I've been waiting for! Now Wheeler, attack his Red-Eyes with your Panther Warrior!"

Suddenly, I understood Yugi's plan, and I felt no fear.

"What?!" Marik exclaimed as he leapt to his feet, knocking over a bucket of ice. "But I commanded you to take out his Red-Eyes, Wheeler! This can't be. He's not responding to the power of my Millennium Rod!"

A smile played at my lips. "I told you. That dragon represents their friendship, and you can't break that."

Marik growled. "Very well, my mind slave. It appears you have a tendency to disobey my orders and disrespect my power. But I assure you, my Millennium Rod is not a force to be taken lightly. All I need to do is keep you under my control long enough to destroy little Yugi forever!"

And so, the duel continued. Marik and Joey continued to struggle back and forth while time slowly ran out. I stayed near Marik, but nothing I did seemed to persuade him away from his current path. Now there were five minutes left.

" _The end is near, Yugi. I could just let the timer run out, destroying you and Joey, but out-dueling you will be so much more fun. And now all of your little friends are here to witness your demise. So, here goes. One more move and you'll be gone for good while I rule the world!_ "

Dread filled my chest. It was now or never. "Please, Marik…"

" _The card I hold in my hand is my key to victory. As soon as I play it, your world will crumble as you sink to your doom!_ "

I could not take it anymore. I reached out to touch Marik again, but this time I had a different target. "Come on, Joey! You can do it!" I could feel his struggle, and I attempted to lend my support.

Marik glowered at me, but when he spoke, he did not address me. "You have no past. Now destroy him! Destroy Yugi!"

The intensity of the struggle grew, so I closed my eyes and held on tightly to Marik. _Joey!_

"Your feeble brain is no match for me. So, play Meteor of Destruction now. You belong to me, understand? I command you to vanquish Yugi!"

The pain tempted me to let go, but I held on. Marik increased the power of the Millennium Rod, and I could feel its evil searing through my body. Still, I refused to give in.

"Silence!" Marik exclaimed. "No one can resist my Millennium Rod! Behold the full potential of its ancient powers! Joey Wheeler no longer exists."

I sucked in a sharp breath. The magic grew even more, and I could barely feel Joey now.

" _It's over, Yugi,_ " Marik said triumphantly as Joey. " _I activate, Meteor of Destruction!_ _You dared to disrespect my power? Looks like your friend is weaker than you thought. Who's losing now?_ "

I doubled down on my efforts to reach my friend. Then, all at once, I felt Joey's sudden presence, and then both him and the feeling of magic were gone. I dropped down and stumbled backwards, opening my eyes to gaze at Marik's stunned expression.

"What? No! Yugi was right! Wheeler's will _was_ too powerful to overcome! Noooo!"

I took deep breaths to cleanse myself from the lingering effects of magic. My mind buzzed with the reality of recent events. Joey had done it. He had broken free of Marik's control. Friendship had won.

But the duel...

"Marik!" I gasped. "Who won?"

"It doesn't matter," Marik snarled, causing me to flinch. "I lost."

I did not want to press him, but I had to know. "You can't see them? Don't you still have control of Tea? Please?"

Marik stared at me for a full minute. When he finally spoke, I braced myself for him to deny my request. "Fine." Then he turned away and closed my eyes.

I let out the breath of air I had been holding. So, he didn't hate me after all? With his strong emotions, I expected him to turn against me for rooting for my friends. _He really is serious about this neutral empath thing._ And perhaps he was starting to understand friendship after all.

"Of course, Yugi found a loophole," Marik growled a moment later. "They both lost. Both of their key boxes will open. They will be fine."

I nodded. "Good." I paused. "Thank you."

Marik grunted. He pulled on his magic again, probably speaking to his Rare Hunters.

Something suddenly occurred to me. "Uh, Marik?" I said once I melt the magic fade. I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how he would take this. "I think I should go meet up with my friends… just so they know I'm okay."

"What?" Marik snapped. "Why should I let you do that?"

I took a deep breath. "Because Yugi – and Yami – are probably worried about me. You let him believe you kidnapped his friends, right? I'm one of his friends. If he doesn't see me soon, he may continue to look for me instead of going to the Battle City Finals."

Marik narrowed his eyes at me, but I felt his anger fade. "Are you in any state to meet with them? Can you convince them you're fine?"

"I… think so."

"Even the pharaoh?"

I hesitated. Could I lie to Yami? If we kept the conversation short, maybe… "I don't know if I can keep him from becoming suspicious, but he'll be even more suspicious if he doesn't see me until the Finals. Plus, you're so good at being 'Namu,' you can probably convince him for the both of us." At least I hoped.

"I am an excellent actor. Fine. But let's make it quick."

I sighed in relief. "Thank you, Marik." In truth, I did not look forward to seeing my friends when I had to deceive them. I could not wait until this whole mess was over.

It turned out we were not far from where Yugi and Joey had their duel. My heart lightened upon seeing everyone chatting to each other in the distance. I stopped a couple of meters away from them. Marik – or, rather, 'Namu' – stood by my side.

Kaiba noticed me first, and he gave me a small nod. "Yugi, I found the last of your little friends," he said.

Yugi turned from Joey, who had just returned his Millennium Puzzle, and his face lit up. "Samia! There you are! I was afraid you may have been captured by Marik as well."

I gave him a slight smile. "No, I'm fine."

"You've been with Namu all this time?" Joey said.

Yugi blinked. "Namu?"

"That would be me," Marik said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "You must be the Yugi I've heard so much about. I'm an old friend of Samia's from Egypt. We ran into each other and decided to stick together until the Finals. I'm sorry if we worried you."

Yugi smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. We just got out of a sticky situation, and I'm glad Samia was not a part of it. It's nice to meet you, Namu."

"We met earlier when we were attacked by those Rare Hunters," Joey explained. "It's good to see both of you escaped. Namu here is a duelist. How many locator cards do you have now?"

"Four," Marik replied. "I've still got a couple of more to go."

 ** _Samia._** Yami's voice startled me away from the conversation. **_Are you truly alright? You seem tense._**

I took in a deep breath and willed my emotions to remain calm. _I'm fine. Just worried about you guys._

 _ **We'll manage. Are you sure you can trust this Namu?**_

I bristled. _Yes. He's my friend. I have not seen him in a long time, so I would like to continue with him, if you do not mind. It will probably be safer._ And I would not get in Yami's way.

 ** _If you feel it's for the best…_**

 _I do._

"Oh, Samia," Joey said suddenly, "meet my sister, Serenity."

A smiling brown-haired girl held out her hand. "Hi, Samia. It's great to meet you."

I gave her a genuine smile. "You too. I'm glad your operation went well."

"Thank you. I could not have done it without Joey's support."

"He's a good brother."

"Hey Kaiba!" Yugi suddenly called out. Kaiba and Mokuba stopped in their tracks. "We couldn't have gotten out of that mess without you."

"I did what I had to do, Yugi, got it?" Kaiba said.

"Well, thank you."

"I'll see you at the Battle City Finals."

"Guess that means 'you're welcome,'" Tristan said.

"Samia, we should probably get going too," Marik said gently. "I have more duels to win."

"Good luck," Joey said. "And watch out for Marik and those Rare Hunter creeps."

Marik chuckled lightly. "Will do, Joey."

"I'll see you later then, Samia," Yugi said. "We'll be headed to the finals."

I nodded at him as I started to walk off with Marik. "I'll try to catch up with you later."

"Good work," Marik whispered to me once we were out of earshot. "That went well. They did not suspect a thing."

I only nodded in agreement. My heart hammered as I thought about what was to come next. How was I ever going to change Marik's mind? And could I do it before my friends found out I had deceived them?


End file.
